Up Close: Hyundai's New Navigation System

Hyundai is clearly late to the navigation game. As recently as 2007, top-of-the-line models like the Veracruz and Azera didn't have any system, while competitors offered it all the way down to their compact cars. That's changed: The Veracruz, Santa Fe and Azera offer navigation for 2008, the all new Genesis sedan has a different high-end system entirely while the restyled 2009 Sonata debuting at the Chicago Auto Show features Hyundai's all-new proprietary system.

The Sonata's navigation system is the real deal. I spent some quality with a fully operative unit and here's what I learned.

The unit sits high in the Sonata's dash on a 6.5-inch screen — not as big as the 8-inch screen in the Accord, but competitive with most others. The graphics are first-rate, with clear labels for streets and landmarks, though individual buildings aren't outlined, as they are on Toyota's navigation system. Hyundai put a premium on usability, and it shows: There's a POI button on the main map to bring up points of interest, and under the Setup display there's a full help menu with descriptions of each button. Should you need to find an intersection, the system allows you to input the city it's in. That's helpful. I've used systems without a city input, and if you can't remember the exact name of each street (boulevard, lane or avenue?) you can get stuck with every 3rd and Main from here to Cleveland.

The system uses a touch-screen, and it's pretty adept at figuring out what you're trying to do. I wish Hyundai had placed a few more shortcut buttons along the side, though. Honda is a champion of this, as most of its navigation systems employ a joystick to scroll the map. The Sonata's system works like most others, so you have to hold your finger on the map to move around. Sigh.

On the audio menus, the radio presets display their stations, so instead of 1 through 6 you have 93.1, 104.3, etc. That's nice, especially if you forget your presets like I do. On satellite radio, you can punch in exactly which station you want with a number pad instead of having to browse a list of 100-plus channels. (If you prefer, you can do that, too.)

Unfortunately, Hyundai doesn't break out the radio presets onto hard buttons above or below the screen, so setting a station requires holding your finger down on the on-screen button. Other systems that do this prove especially vexing - if you're driving and hit a bump, you're back to whatever old station was there.

All told, this isn't a bad start. I'm looking forward to seeing how well the system routes us around Chicago. Some of my favorite ones have become hopelessly befuddled with foul weather or tricky one-way roads — and if the system can't get you where you need to go, all those tidy graphics start to look a lot less friendly.

Comments

[LM]

So how much is the option? With built-in Navs costing about $2000 and punishing resale values perhaps H could offer it at under $1500. That would represent real value.

Aftermarket units just get better and cheaper but built in units just get better, not cheaper.

[Dave T.]

LM,
They haven't announced prices on the nav yet.

[Jim]

given the Infinity brand marked on the faceplate, I'm going to wager that the navigation is made by Harman-Becker.

[rv65]

Jim,

Just because it's infinity doesn't mean it's made by them. They license out their technologies to other companies. It's most likely made by LG. Maybe even Hyundai autonet. The Audio system has some harman components. So yeah.

[Troy in Ft Walton Beach]

I prefer to buy a car on it's design, performance, reliability and resale value. To me, this is just a gimmick to wow the consumer when he/she sits behind the wheel for a test drive or during a first peek on the showroom.

I've driven for the past 20 years all over the country and have not once needed an indash nav system. A 10.00 Atlas and a little pre-trip planning has worked perfectly.

[Jason]

Well, Hyundai tried to hold out on offering navs but clueless consumers demand it so...gotta give the consumer what they want.

[Kelsey M]

Troy, you've been blessed with a sense of direction, of which I have none. I find nav systems a godsend, albeit an expensive one.

Jim and rv65, we spoke with Hyundai and they said the speakers, amp and tuning calibration is by Infinity -- hence the logos on the head unit -- but the unit itself is from Hyundai Autonet.

[rv65]

Is the navigation system DVD or Hard Drive based? Some people say the LG unit in other models uses a memory card. Curious since Hyundai hasn't mentioned this yet.

[Steveo]

I sat in a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. It has the Navigation system. When the faceplate is "opened" you can see where the DVD slot is. Under the slot you can see where the memory card is installed. The user manual says that it has 128 Mb of SDRAM.
The short answer to the question is neither. Not DVD, not hard drive. It is "flash" memory, kinda like what you find in Tom-Tom.

[rick]

I just purchased a 2008 sante fe with the In-dash audio, DVD & Navigation system. Everything works good. The only disappointment was finding out that the In-Dash DVD player does not work while the car is in motion. The salesman didn't tell me about that. Does anyone know how to get it to show the picture during driving. You can still hear the movie just no visual.

Any help is appreciated.

[Dave T.]

Rick,
That is a safety feature. Meaning you shouldn't be watching video while driving.

You can only disable it via the aftermarket.

[neila]

According to a gentlemen at the below link, he had a technician disable some sort of cable that attaches to the in-dash nav that detects when you are in motion and now works fine. Here is the details of what he says and a you tube video he posted along with it. I have a 2008 veracruz limited with the in-dash nav and will be getting an aftermarket rear dvd for my daughter and road trips, i'm going to see if I can get the car audio tech running the install to disconnect this cable as well. I can try to repost with further information when I get it.

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f14373f/42

Thank you,
Neila