Android Auto just got real.
Sure, Google's in-car software for extending an Android phone to a dashboard has technically been out and proud since the first Android Auto aftermarket systems started shipping in March, but as of Tuesday it's in new cars, too. The 2015 Hyundai Sonata is the first car to offer Android Auto built-in.
[seealso slug="waze-and-android-auto"]
Already have a 2015 Sonata? You can update your dashboard software to make Android Auto compatible, although you'll need to take it to a dealership. Hyundai says it'll offer the upgrade as a software download that you can transfer to the car via USB, but it won't come until "later this summer." You'll also need a MyHyundai account to perform the upgrade.
Google formally introduced Android Auto about a year ago at Google I/O 2014. When connected to a compatible Android phone (one running Android 5.0 Lollipop or later) via USB cable, the system will extend certain apps to the dashboard so they're fully integrated with the car's built-in hardware. Google Maps, for instance, becomes the cars navigation software, and audio apps like Spotify play through the sound system.
Apple has a competing system for iPhone owners called CarPlay, which began shipping in aftermarket systems and a few cars in late 2014. Android Auto and CarPlay are incompatible with the phones of their rival, so many manufacturers (including Hyundai) have committed to offering customers both systems in the same car.
We got a chance to check out Android Auto in the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. Watch for a review of Google's in-car experience later today.