Kia Connect

Kia Connect, formerly UVO eServices, is a paid subscription OEM infotainment and telematics service offered by Kia Motors America on select vehicles for the United States market. The system allows users to make hands-free calls on their smartphone, stream music, navigate to a POI, and perform vehicle diagnostics with the use of voice commands.

Kia Connect
Original author(s)Kia America
Developer(s)Kia America
Initial releaseJanuary 2011 (2011-01)
Available inEnglish, French, Spanish, German
TypeTelematics
LicenseProprietary commercial software
Websiteowners.kia.com/content/owners/en/about-uvo-link.html

The integrated in-vehicle communications and entertainment system is developed by Kia Motors and other third-party developers.

Kia UVO Logo
UVO eServices with Premium Nav, in a 2015 K900

Overview

First launched in the 2011 model year, Kia's UVO entertainment system included the HD radio, CD player, 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 codes. Users can also load a point of interest to the vehicle's head unit. Other technologies like GPS and interactive voice response are also integrated into the system.

Users are able to access the vehicle data on the smartphone application and through a customer web portal.[1] In the 2015 model year, select vehicles launched with an Android-based [2] operating platform to allow flexibility to integrate 3rd-party applications. Certain vehicles have USB (for model years 2014 and later) and Wi-Fi connectivity (for model years 2015 and later).

The service was renamed Kia Connect in September 2021.[3]

Infotainment features

The below table provides a short description of UVO eServices features. Feature availability depends on model and model year.[4]

FeatureDescription
UVO FeaturesSirius XM TravelLinkSiriusXM Travel Link provides real-time information on Weather, Traffic, Fuel Prices, Stocks, Sports, and Movies.
Parking MinderParking Minder can store and display the last known location where a vehicle was parked.
My POIsUsers can store a list of addresses that can be synced to a UVO head unit and used by the Navigation feature.
PandoraThe Pandora app for the UVO head unit can connect to a user's Pandora smartphone app to play songs and display track information.
Trip InfoView analytics about monthly driving habits, such as average speed, average time, and average distance.
My Car ZoneA set of monitoring features including Curfew Limit Alert, Speed Alert, and Geo Fence Alert.
Curfew Limit AlertStores an alert when a UVO vehicle is driven after a user configured curfew time.
Speed AlertStores an alert when a UVO vehicle is driven faster than a user-configured speed limit.
Geo Fence AlertStores an alert when a UVO vehicle is driven within a user configured restricted area.
Vehicle DiagnosticsUVO vehicles can identify when there is a diagnostic issue. UVO owners can view diagnostic issues and send the report to a dealership when scheduling a service appointment.
Critical Diagnostic AlertCritical Diagnostic Alert can notify the driver if a diagnostic issue is found.
Scheduled DiagnosticsDiagnostic checks can be scheduled to run on a monthly cycle.
Enhanced Roadside AssistEnhanced Roadside Assistance can help UVO owners connect to an agent by placing a call through the owner's phone and transmitting data about the location and state of the vehicle.
911 ConnectIn the event of an airbag deployment UVO can attempt to automatically place a call and send the vehicle's location to emergency services.
Infotainment FeaturesSirius XM RadioUVO owners with a SiriusXM subscription can listen with the integrated SiriusXM radio receiver.
SIRIUS Travel LinkUVO owners with a Sirius Travel Link subscription can access integrated weather, fuel prices, sports, movie listings, and stock prices data.
Bluetooth AudioBluetooth audio support includes dialing and making phone calls, syncing phone contacts, and streaming audio.
Voice CommandsVoice commands are integrated with the phone, media player, and navigation functions as well as select UVO head unit apps.
NavigationUVO navigation is available on UVO eServices with Nav head units. It has integrations with traffic data and My POIs.

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 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. The 2015 UVO eServices with 8" Nav system also supports Siri Eyes Free which allows users to access Siri via a button on the steering wheel for supported Apple 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
UVO eServices app launcher icon

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 eServices with 8" Nav, in a 2015 Soul

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 on 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.[5] 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

The following vehicles are UVO 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 is not available on all trim levels.[6]

North America:

India

References
  1. "MyUVO.com". 2014-07-15.
  2. "Kia unveils all-new Soul at New York Auto Show". Kia Press Release. 2013-03-28.
  3. "Kia's UVO Connect becomes Kia Connect" by Matt de Prez, FleetNews, 29 September 2021
  4. "MyUVO.com Availability". 2014-07-15.
  5. http://www.kia-gpsmap.us/map-updates/2014-kia-soul-map-update.html
  6. "Availability". Retrieved 2014-04-07.
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