Controversy Brewing: Hyundai’s User Discrimination in Infotainment Updates

Hyundai Motor’s User Discrimination Controversy
Updates only applied to ccNC
Similar controversy in the past

On the 26th, Hyundai Motor announced its first infotainment update plan for 2024. The major update for ccNC added a “Delicious Road” feature. This is a restaurant recommendation service based on actual driver feedback data.

Due to extensive customer visits and evaluation data, Hyundai Motor introduced this feature as a restaurant recommendation service. However, controversy arose because the feature was only available on the ccNC infotainment system.

Provided evaluation information but excluded from the update

Hyundai Motor previously collected data on whether drivers who visited restaurants recommended them before providing this feature. 5W-generation standard navigation users were included in the data collection and helped provide information, but the related feature was excluded from the update, causing user complaints to spread.

The customers who provided the information showed disbelief, saying, “I provided information by pressing recommend and not recommend every time I went to a restaurant for several years, and how can they put this feature only in ccNC?” They also expressed their frustration, saying, “Are we subjects of data collection?” and “They collected data from 5W-generation navigation users, but they provided the information where it was not even needed.”

ccNC with various features
Provides UX with improved visibility

ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) is Hyundai Motor’s latest infotainment system, first introduced in the all-new Grandeur. It features two 12.3-inch panoramic displays and allows for voice recognition, YouTube streaming services, real-time navigation, and other content usage. It also provides an updated UX with improved visibility for convenience.

Another benefit is the wireless (OTA) software update, which has more than doubled compared to the previous version. In addition, biometric recognition technology and connected technology have been applied. Various features are provided using registered users’ biometric information, such as engine ignition and in-car simple payment. The number of features is higher than the previous version of the navigation system, causing user complaints to increase.

It was not even discontinued, but no update was provided

Last year, Hyundai Motor updated the ccNC infotainment system, allowing wireless CarPlay and Google Android Auto to be used without a USB cable. However, this update caused controversy because it did not apply to the 5W-generation navigation, which is not even discontinued. It is still used for some shipped cars, further fueling the discrimination controversy.

The 5W-generation navigation is currently applied to various models, such as Hyundai’s Avante CN7, Ioniq 6, Palisade, Tucson, Kia’s EV6, Sportage, and K8.