Hyundai Unveils Android Wear App; Lets Start, Lock, Find Car via Voice Command

Hyundai will debut its new version of the car-monitoring app, Blue Link, with the support for Android Wear on January 5, a day before the CES 2015 event in Las Vegas. The South Korean car maker will bring new features in the app that it first launched in 2012. The smartwatch app has been developed in partnership with Station Digital Media.

The Android Wear version of Hyundai Blue Link will let users remotely lock and monitor their cars via simple voice commands like "lock my car", "start my car", "find my car" and more. Alternatively, users can also perform various other functionalities with the help of a quick button as seen in the image above.

Hyundai notes the Android Wear device with the Blue Link smartwatch app must be connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone (with its own Blue Link app) to work. The company claims remote functions will work as long as there is Internet connectivity.

Some of the other voice-activated features that users will be able to utilise with the Hyundai Blue Link smartwatch app are Remote Engine Start, Remote Engine Stop (Only available when vehicle is in remote engine start mode), Remote Door Lock / Unlock, Remote Flash Lights / Honk Horn, Car Finder, Call Roadside, and Call Blue Link.

"Connecting to your car through a smartwatch and voice recognition was previously something seen only in science fiction movies. Now, we can provide this capability to owners of Hyundai vehicles equipped with Blue Link," said Barry Ratzlaff, Executive Director, Customer Connect and Service Business Development, Hyundai Motor America.

The company added that the upcoming Android Wear supporting Blue Link app will be showcased on Samsung, Motorola, Sony and LG smartwatches at the CES 2015 event. Android Wear users will be able to download the Blue Link smartwatch app in the first quarter of this year. The Blue Link smartphone app is available to download from Google Play.

In addition, the Blue Link smartwatch app will be compatible with first and next generation Blue Link-equipped Hyundai models. Some of the cars that feature Blue Link support are 2012 Sonata, 2015 Genesis, Sonata and Azera. Next generation models include the upcoming Elantra GT and Veloster.