Hyundai to release first Android Auto-compatible car

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Wednesday it will release the world's first car that links to U.S. Google Inc.'s Android Auto app, adding the service will officially kick off in the United States later this month.

The platform will be first applied to the 2015 Sonata sedan and will later be expanded to other models, Hyundai Motor said.

The Android Auto is an app that allows users to access the main features of Android smartphones while driving by looking at digital displays in their cars. The integration will reduce distractions to drivers, Hyundai said.

To ensure safety, smartphones' screens will be locked when linked to an automobile so that users cannot use other features of their devices.

The service has not yet kicked off in South Korea, as Google Maps, one of the key features of the app, has a limited presence here.

Users will be required to have a smartphone that runs on the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system. (Yonhap)