More Connected Cars: Hyundai Showcases Bluelink in Upcoming Venue

Hyundai Bluelink system comes with an app and connects to the car through Vodafone’s embedded SIM system.

Hyundai’s Venue compact SUV will come with its Bluelink smart infotainment system that features connectivity options.

Photo: Hyundai India

Connected cars will be a trend for the next few years, as car makers move towards integrating cars with smartphone connectivity, allowing users more convenience while also adding a layer of safety and surveillance to the vehicle. Hyundai India has just showcased its Bluelink connected car solution in its upcoming compact SUV, the Hyundai Venue.

A couple of weeks ago MG Motor showcased its connected car tech for the upcoming MG Hector. Maruti Suzuki, Nissan and Honda have also shown their connected tech at various points in the past year.

Ford India, in fact, was among the first to introduce some kind of telematics with its Sync system back in 2012, when it launched the EcoSport, but that involved pairing with user’s phone. All these connected solutions from Hyundai, MG and Maruti run dedicated in-built SIM cards for connectivity. Hyundai has partnered with Vodafone for that, while Maruti and MG use Airtel.

Hyundai’s Bluelink connected infotainment system can perform 33 functions. Photo: Hyundai India

What can Hyundai’s system do? Well, the company claims it has 33 functions that can be performed through its connected Bluelink system. These range from remote locking or unlocking the car to starting it, turning on the AC, lights or horn. The starting and AC feature is only available with the automatic transmission variant.

With this presentation Hyundai has confirmed that the Venue will come with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. And it also released a couple of sketches of the upcoming Hyundai Venue.

The latest sketch of the upcoming Hyundai Venue compact SUV.Photo: Hyundai India

It can take voice commands for various car functions and in the event of a crash, it can automatically notify emergency numbers. This function is similar to the system MG Motor has and is also there in Ford’s Sync system.

Besides that the system also auto store’s navigation information and will plot your route depending on your schedule. It can also be shared with other users, who can share navigation information directly to the car through the app.

The Hyundai Venue will be the first Hyundai vehicle to feature this Bluelink system. It will slowly be introduced in the company’s other models as well.