Hyundai Brings Pleos Connect Software to the U.S. in the 2027 Tucson

Hyundai will introduce its new Pleos Connect infotainment platform to American buyers for the first time in the 2027 Tucson, the automaker’s best-selling nameplate in the United States. The system will arrive on U.S. models that carry either a 17-inch or 12.9-inch center touchscreen, and Hyundai says more specifics about availability, connectivity requirements and model-specific features will be shared closer to the vehicle’s launch.

At its core, Pleos Connect runs on Google’s Android Automotive OS, the open operating system that automakers can build upon. Hyundai frames the platform around three guiding ideas: intuitiveness, safety and openness. It marks a move away from the company’s earlier infotainment architecture toward software designed to handle native applications, over-the-air updates and connected services from the start. The interface was shaped by user experience research and data analysis, and Hyundai says the goal is to make everyday interactions with the vehicle simpler and less distracting. A key part of that openness is the Pleos App Market, which lets owners download vehicle-optimized apps spanning entertainment, lifestyle, productivity, mobility and vehicle-related services. Those apps can be updated on their own, independently of the over-the-air software updates Hyundai pushes to the broader infotainment system. The company is also building an API so third-party developers can create apps for Pleos Connect vehicles, with each submission passing cybersecurity and verification checks before reaching the marketplace.

A major centerpiece is Gleo AI, Hyundai’s in-vehicle assistant. Rather than reacting only to fixed voice commands, Gleo AI leans on a large language model to understand conversational, natural-language requests and to interpret what a driver actually intends. It can handle multi-command interactions, help search for destinations and provide route guidance through back-and-forth dialogue, and it can also pull vehicle-specific information, such as climate controls or details from the owner’s manual, when asked.

Navigation in Pleos Connect combines Here Maps with Google Places, relying on real-time mapping and routing data. Hyundai has preinstalled map data so navigation still works in areas where data connectivity is limited. The display supports both portrait and landscape orientations, allows compatible apps to run side by side on the same screen, and uses floating information cards so route details appear without covering the map. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported as well, along with Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.

Hyundai positions the Tucson launch as a significant step in its broader shift toward software-defined vehicles. Eric Wood, senior vice president of product experience at Hyundai’s software subsidiary 42dot, described the system as a fundamental change in how customers experience their cars over time, adding that Hyundai sees the vehicle not as a finished product at delivery but as a platform that can adapt and grow more personalized. The company intends to continuously gather and analyze data from its global fleet of future Pleos Connect and Gleo AI-equipped vehicles to feed over-the-air updates and new experiences. Hyundai has said it aims to roll Pleos Connect out across roughly 20 million vehicles by 2030, a target tied to the “data flywheel” the Hyundai Motor Group outlined during its 2026 CEO Investor Day presentation.