Kia Connect, formerly UVO eServices, is a paid subscription OEM

infotainment Infotainment (a portmanteau of ''information'' and ''entertainment''), also called soft news as a way to distinguish it from serious journalism or hard news, is a type of media, usually television or online, that provides a combination of inform ...

and

telematics Telematics is an interdisciplinary field encompassing telecommunications, vehicular technologies (road transport, road safety, etc.), electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc.), and computer science (multimedia ...

service offered by Kia Motors America on select vehicles for the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

market. The system allows users to make

hands-free Handsfree is an adjective describing equipment that can be used without the use of hands (for example via voice commands) or, in a wider sense, equipment which needs only limited use of hands, or for which the controls are positioned so that the ...

calls on their

smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...

, stream music, navigate to a POI, and perform vehicle diagnostics with the use of voice commands. The integrated in-vehicle communications and entertainment system is developed by

Kia Motors Kia Corporation (, formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry (京城精密工業) and Kia Motors Corporation) is a South Korean multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, ...

and other third-party developers.

Overview

First launched in the 2011 model year, Kia's UVO entertainment system included the

HD radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...

CD player A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital audio, digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such a ...

, and a built-in digital jukebox. The system also interfaces with Bluetooth-enabled phones and utilizes touchscreen and voice command technology. The UVO system is driven by vehicle communications with a smartphone application. Data transfers from the vehicle to the smartphone application utilize the customer's mobile carrier resulting in a subscription-free telematics service. Users of the system are able to interact with their vehicle to retrieve

diagnostic trouble code On-board diagnostics (OBD) is a term referring to a vehicle's self-diagnostic and reporting capability. In the United States, this capability is a requirement to comply with federal emissions standards to detect failures that may increase the ...

s. Users can also load a

point of interest A point of interest (POI) is a specific point location that someone may find useful or interesting. An example is a point on the Earth representing the location of the Eiffel Tower, or a point on Mars representing the location of its highest ...

to the vehicle's

head unit An automotive head unit, sometimes called the infotainment system, is a vehicle audio component providing a unified hardware interface for the system, including screens, buttons and system controls for numerous integrated information and enter ...

. Other technologies like

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...

and

interactive voice response Interactive voice response (IVR) is a technology that allows telephone users to interact with a computer-operated telephone system through the use of voice and DTMF tones input with a keypad. In telephony, IVR allows customers to interact with a ...

are also integrated into the system. Users are able to access the vehicle data on the smartphone application and through a customer web portal. In the 2015 model year, select vehicles launched with an

Android Android most commonly refers to: *Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google * Android TV, a operating system developed ...

-based operating platform to allow flexibility to integrate 3rd-party

applications Application may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Application software, computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks ** Application layer, an abstraction layer that specifies protocols and interface methods used in a ...

. Certain vehicles have

USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...

(for model years 2014 and later) and

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...

connectivity (for model years 2015 and later). The service was renamed Kia Connect in September 2021.

Infotainment features

The below table provides a short description of UVO eServices features. Feature availability depends on model and model year.

In-vehicle apps

Beginning with the 2015 Optima, the UVO eServices with 8" Nav system allows users to download applications from the UVO download center for in-vehicle use via the head unit. Currently,

Yelp Yelp Inc. is an American company that develops the Yelp.com website and the Yelp mobile app, which publishes crowd-sourced reviews about businesses. It also operates Yelp Guest Manager, a table reservation service. It is headquartered in S ...

is available in the UVO download center.

3rd party features

Beginning with 2015 Optima, the UVO eServices with 8" Nav system allows users to connect the vehicle head unit to a WiFi hotspot. Once connected to WiFi, most vehicles can access Google local search via a button on the steering wheel to search for POIs via

voice recognition Voice recognition can refer to: * speaker recognition, determining ''who'' is speaking * speech recognition Speech recognition is an interdisciplinary subfield of computer science and computational linguistics that develops methodologies and te ...

. The 2015 UVO eServices with 8" Nav system also supports Siri Eyes Free which allows users to access

Siri Siri ( , backronym: Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface) is a digital assistant purchased, developed, and popularized by Apple Inc., which is included in the iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, Apple TV, audioOS, and visionOS operating sys ...

via a button on the steering wheel for supported

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

devices.

MyUVO.com

Owners of UVO equipped vehicles can register for an account on www.myuvo.com to view information related to their vehicle. Vehicle information available includes vehicle diagnostics, trip info, MyCarZone, and MyPOIs. In addition to viewing vehicle information, users can also view the maintenance schedule for their vehicle and schedule appointments with a dealer. Also, users can earn awards by actively using the website.

Smartphone app

The UVO smartphone app is available in the iTunes and Google Play stores. The app interfaces with the vehicle through a USB or Bluetooth connection. The UVO eServices with 8" Nav head unit requires a USB connection to transfer telematics data, while others use Bluetooth for data transfer. All head units can connect with Bluetooth for phone and audio functions.

2014 re-design

In 2014, the app was re-skinned and new features were added. On compatible 2015 vehicles, the UVO app will display trip information and My Car Zone.

Data transfer

The UVO app serves as a web interface for vehicles that do not have embedded web capabilities. Data is transferred from the UVO head unit to the app via Bluetooth or USB, which is then transferred to the web and viewable from both the app and the web.

UVO versions

UVO

The original UVO was released on 2011 vehicles. Features include voice commands, Bluetooth, jukebox, and a rear-view camera. UVO was replaced by UVO eServices on most models by the 2014 model year. Although the standard version was discontinued, it is still used in 2015 LX, EX Sedonas.

UVO eServices

UVO eServices was the first UVO to interface with MyUVO.com and the UVO mobile app. It was introduced in the 2013 model year Optima, Optima Hybrid, and Sportage. In addition to having all of the features on the original UVO, UVO eServices has Parking Minder, Enhanced Roadside Assist, and Vehicle Diagnostics. On 2015 model year vehicles, Trip Info and My Car Zone features are included.

UVO eServices with 7" Nav

UVO eServices with 7" Nav was introduced alongside UVO eServices on some 2013 models. In addition to all of the features of UVO and UVO eServices, the 7" Nav version has Navigation and My POIs. On 2015 model year vehicles, Trip Info and My Car Zone are included.

UVO eServices with 8" Nav

UVO eServices with 8" Nav was introduced on the 2014 Soul. It has all of the features of UVO eServices with 7" Nav, the larger screen accepts swipe gestures, and features are organized in the way that apps are organized on a tablet. On September 22, 2014, an update for the 2014 Soul UVO with Nav system was released which unlocks the eServices including My Car Zone, Vehicle Diagnostics, and 911 Connect. It also includes updated maps and improved navigation features, as well as Siri Eyes-Free.

UVO Premium

UVO Premium was designed specifically for the 2015 K900. It shares most of its features with UVO eServices with 7" Nav. It comes with a completely redesigned user interface and the touch screen from other UVO versions is replaced with a controller wheel on the center console.

Vehicles offering UVO/Kia Connect

The following vehicles are UVO/Kia Connect capable, available as either an optional or standard feature. The date next to each vehicle indicates in which model year UVO was first available on that specific vehicle. On some models, UVO/Kia Connect are not available on all trim levels. North America: * Kia K900: 2015 and newer * Kia Sedona: 2015 and newer (current 2015 models available in dealerships without Navigation – LX, EX, do not offer UVO with e-services as standard as stated in the brochure; only the basic UVO which was discontinued; Kia is unable to confirm when 2015 EX, LX models with UVO e-services w/o Nav will be produced) *

Kia Cadenza The Kia Cadenza (also known in South Korea as Kia K7) () is a full-size/executive sedan manufactured by Kia. It was launched in 2010 to replace the Kia Opirus/Amanti. As of January 2014, it was sold in South Korea, United States, Canada, Chi ...

: 2014 and newer *

Kia Soul The Kia Soul () is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Kia since 2008. Often described and marketed as a Crossover (automobile), crossover since its introduction, the Soul is a hatchback with a box proportion and tall roof, ...

: 2011 and newer *

Kia Sorento The Kia Sorento () is a series of two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive family SUVs manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2002 through four generations. Initially a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the second-g ...

: 2011 and newer *

Kia Optima Optima is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf and released by the D. Stempel AG foundry, Frankfurt, West Germany in 1958. Though classified as a sans-serif, Optima has a subtle swelling at the terminals suggesting a glyphic ...

: 2011 and newer *

Kia Optima Hybrid The Kia K5 (), formerly known as the Kia Optima (), is a mid-size car manufactured by Kia since 2000 and marketed globally through various nameplates. First generation cars were mostly marketed as the Optima, although the Kia Magentis name was ...

: 2011 and newer *

Kia Forte The Kia Forte (), known as the K3 in Asia, the Forte K3 or Shuma in China and Cerato in South America, Australia, New Zealand and Russia, is a compact car manufactured by South Korean automaker Kia from mid-2008 until 2024, replacing the Kia S ...

: 2017 and newer *

Kia Sportage The Kia Sportage () is a series of automobiles manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 1993 through five generations. Initially a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the second-generation Sportage transitioned to a ca ...

: 2011 and newer *

Kia Rio The Kia Rio () is a subcompact car manufactured by Kia from 1999 to 2023. Body styles have included a three and five-door hatchback and four-door sedan, equipped with inline-four gasoline and diesel engines, and front-wheel drive. The Rio ...

: 2011 and newer * Kia Sedona: 2015 and newer – Si and above have larger LCDs *

Kia Niro The Kia Niro () is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment) manufactured by Kia since 2016. It is an electrification-focused vehicle, offering three versions: Hybrid electric vehicle, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and Battery electric vehicle, battery ...

: 2017 and newer * Kia Stinger: 2018 and newer *

Kia Telluride The Kia Telluride is a mid-size crossover SUV with three-row seating manufactured and marketed by Kia since 2019. Positioned above the smaller Kia Sorento, Sorento, the Telluride was previewed as a concept car in 2016, with the production model d ...

: 2020 and newer * Kia Seltos: 2021 and newer *

Kia EV6 The Kia EV6 () is a battery electric compact crossover SUV produced by Kia. Introduced in March 2021, it is the first Kia dedicated electric vehicle, and the first model developed on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) similar to t ...

: 2021 and newer *

Kia EV9 The Kia EV9 () is an battery electric mid-size crossover SUV produced by Kia. It is the second Kia model developed on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and the second model in the manufacturer's "EV" electric car range after the ...

: 2023 and newer India *

Kia Sonet The Kia Sonet is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured by Kia since 2020. Positioned below the Kia Seltos, Seltos and closely related to the similarly sized sibling Hyundai Venue, it is sold in emerging markets, including Asia, Africa, the Mid ...

: 2020 and newer *

Kia Carens The Kia Carens () is a C-segment, compact car (C-segment) manufactured by Kia since 1999, spanning over four generations, and was marketed worldwide under various nameplates, prominently as the Kia Rondo. The initial three generations had a comp ...

: 2022 and newer

References

External links

* {{Telematics Automotive technology tradenames Human–computer interaction In-car entertainment Kia Motors Vehicle telematics