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Kia EV9 owners in the US can show their fandom on their infotainment system with a fun new technology update. Could we soon see it come to Australia?
Kia is rolling out a new feature on its EV9 electric car that will allow owners to customise their vehicle’s displays to show the colours and logos of their favourite basketball teams – but the technology is not yet available in Australia.
Ahead of the 2024 National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs in the United States, Kia will release 30 display themes (one for every NBA team) on its Kia Connect Store via an over-the-air update.
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Kia EV9 owners can purchase the themes to customise their instrument cluster and infotainment screen and add a unique welcome and goodbye video for certain EV9 trim levels. Each theme is priced at $US39.99 ($AU62.45).
The sporting themes will initially be available only on the EV9, but Kia plans to make them available across more models in the future.
“Kia is pleased to introduce its new Display Themes, which gives our customers the freedom to upgrade their vehicle after they have purchased it, combined with the fun of showing their support for their favourite NBA team,” said Pablo Martinez, Kia’s Vice President and Head of Customer Experience Design Sub-division.
“We now look forward to developing further themes, innovative brand collaborations and pioneering digital features to launch on Kia models in the future.”
When Drive suggested the possibility of an Australian interpretation that would allow AFL or NRL fans to champion their teams, a Kia Australia spokesperson said it was an “interesting” proposition.
“Although this would be a very interesting consideration, FoD (Features on Demand) is required and this feature is currently still under study for Australia,” the Kia Australia spokesperson told Drive.
Features on Demand is Kia’s terminology for the ability to selectively purchase software functions for your car.
Other features on demand include customisable lighting patterns for headlights and tail-lights, remote smart parking assist (which can park the vehicle with the driver outside of the car) and a feature called Boost, which increases the torque from the EV9’s electric motor to boost acceleration.
Currently, the EV9 is the only Kia model in Australia able to receive over-the-air (OTA) updates, which can update existing features and fix bugs without owners needing to visit a service centre.
The post Kia EV9 owners can now add their sporting team’s logo to their screens appeared first on Drive.
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