Volvo to use SK Telecom infotainment system from 2022

Industry

Published: 11 May. 2020, 16:14

Volvo to use SK Telecom infotainment system from 2022

Sample images of the new infotainment system that Volvo Cars Korea and SK Telecom will develop together. The companies signed an agreement Monday to codevelop a new Korea-specialized system with the goal of using it in 2022 Volvo models. [VOLVO CARS KOREA]

Volvo is working with SK Telecom to develop a next-generation infotainment system that will appeal to local customers, who are known to have high standards when it comes to in-car electronics.

The two companies signed the agreement Monday.

Volvo Cars Korea said the new infotainment system will be installed in Volvo models starting 2022. The new system will integrate SK Telecom’s T map navigation, NUGU voice recognition system and the FLO music service into a single unified system.

The company said T map is the best traffic and mapping system in Korea.

“The paradigm of today’s automobile industry is quickly changing to connection and fusion of information technology into products,” Volvo Cars Korea CEO Lee Yun-mo said in a statement. “By partnering with SK Telecom, which leads in global ICT technology, our customers will be able to experience the best-connected services.”

While Volvo has done well with Korean consumers, the lack of a solid navigation system is one weakness in the market.

The automaker was the first in the industry to introduce the Apple CarPlay system and has been providing smartphone-connected infotainment systems in all of its offerings.

The Swedish automaker sold more than 10,000 vehicles in Korea for the first time last year, a benchmark achieved by only a few auto brands in the market. The company is targeting 12,000 units this year while upgrading its maintenance offerings and opening more service centers in the country.

Volvo Cars Korea sold a total of 10,570 vehicles last year, up 24 percent from a year earlier. During the same period, the aggregate sales of import automobiles fell 6.1 percent.

BY KO JUN-TAE [ko.juntae@joongang.co.kr]