For 2015, Hyundai is releasing its Genesis luxury sedan 2.0—but that car won't be the only "2.0" Hyundai product hitting the scene. Next to the Genesis' "Fluidic Sculpture 2.0" design language, there also is Blue Link 2.0, Hyundai's second-generation Blue Link telematics system, which was first announced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. So yes, Blue Link is somewhat old news, except we just briefly tried it out for ourselves. But before we lay our impressions on you, let's run down the major changes from Blue Link generation one to gen two.
For its second-generation Blue Link system, Hyundai has added Google-based point-of-interest search functionality, phone app–based remote-start capability, the ability to download native apps directly to the car, Apple Siri integration, and a new, Genesis-specific phone app called Genesis Intelligent Assistant. On the surface, Blue Link's look hasn't changed much—the interface we sampled in the 2015 Genesis looked more or less the same as the first-gen Blue Link interface. This is no bad thing, however, since we dig the Genesis' offering of both touch-screen and hard-button controls, and the menus are fairly intuitive and screen loading times quick.
Where the latest Blue Link separates itself is the voice- or touch-screen-operated Google POI search, which is speedy and—thanks to Google—remarkably good at figuring out what you want and displaying the most relevant info. After pressing the POI button on the Genesis' rearview mirror and saying "gentlemen's club," we quickly were presented with, well, far more such options than we previously knew were available to us within a 25-mile-or-so radius. List in hand, users simply scroll through using the console-mounted click wheel, select the destination, and Blue Link calls up directions. It's that simple.
The Genesis-specific app is quite handy, as well. In addition to enabling the expected remote-unlock (and lock), remote starting, and vehicle diagnostics features, it also mines users' calendars (should they opt in, of course), to give helpful suggestions based on the users' patterns and outside data streams. For example, if the app comes to learn of your regular departure time from work to home, and it's aware of traffic along the way, it might alert the user to leave a little early. The remote-start feature is quite clever, too, enabling users to set temperature, activate the defroster, and even choose the duration of the remote-start activity (up to 10 minutes).
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All of this is enabled by the car's embedded data connection, which links up to Verizon's 3G network. Hyundai is looking at adding 4G capability in the future, to allow for higher-draw data-dependent activities like wireless hotspotting and video streaming, but for Blue Link's current capabilities, the 3G network is more than sufficient, we're told. For now, buyers get Blue Link's safety- (crash notification, SOS call-center help, etc.) and car-care-related functions free with purchase for three years; the remote-start and stolen-vehicle recovery functions are available with a subscription, as is the guidance portion that includes the Google POI search.
As for our impressions of the rest of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis, including how it drives, those will be coming very soon, so stay tuned!
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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