Announcing the latest integration of our Houndify voice AI platform that’s powering the custom voice assistant in the Kia Seltos Smart SUVs in India. With Houndify, drivers can make queries and control various aspects of the car and more, simply by using their voice. The Kia Seltos’ custom voice assistant currently supports Indian-English accents, with additional languages from across the Indian region coming later.

The Kia Seltos is enhanced by our Speech-to-Meaning™ and Deep Meaning Understanding™ technologies to deliver unprecedented speed and accuracy in voice recognition and responses. This also means drivers do not have to remember specific voice commands or phrases to control the various aspects of their car or ask for information. They can simply say things like: “I feel hot” or “Please tell me today’s weather.” Drivers are also able to use their natural voices to search in real-time for locations of interest, weather, date, and time, make phone calls, control the car’s media and navigation, and much more.

With Houndify, Kia is delivering an in-car driving experience that’s more useful, intuitive, and safe. Earlier this year, we announced a partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to bring the first voice-enabled, smart-connected SUV to the Indian market. The Hyundai Venue launched with support for understanding English, specifically Indian-English accents, with additional languages from across the Indian region coming later. The cars began shipping in India in June.

Voice AI is redefining in-car experiences worldwide by making them safer, smarter, more natural and hands-free. Custom in-car assistants help brands create a more personal connection between the vehicle and driver through intelligent voice control, resulting in a driving experience that’s truly voice-first.

With Houndify as a partner, leading automakers like Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz are making a leap forward in convenience and connectivity. Users can ask complex, multi-part questions and filter results all at once. For example, users can ask: “Where’s the nearest coffee shop, and can you roll up the windows and turn on the AC?” Houndify handles both online and offline functions, so users can still access in-car functions using voice control, even without cloud connectivity.

The Kia Seltos launched in India earlier this month to an overwhelmingly positive reception with tens of thousands of bookings in just a few weeks.

Read more about this partnership. Learn more about Houndify.