Hyundai brings 42dot software to the road with the IONIQ 3

Hyundai Motor Group acquired 42dot in 2022 and has since developed the South Korean software company into the core of its global software operation. Its work now spans vehicle operating systems, AI-based services and autonomous-driving technology.

42dot's role goes well beyond individual applications. The broader aim is to create a common software layer through which a vehicle's different systems can communicate, while allowing developers to introduce new functions more quickly.

Pleos brings the car's software together

Hyundai uses the Pleos name for a broader software ecosystem. One part is the vehicle operating system, while another is Pleos Connect, the infotainment layer that drivers and passengers interact with directly.

Pleos Connect is based on Android Automotive OS and supports over-the-air updates that can add features and improve performance. It made its production debut in South Korea in 2026 on the Hyundai Grandeur. The IONIQ 3 will be the first Hyundai model in Europe to receive the system.

At the same time, 42dot's vehicle software layer is intended to simplify the development of new functions. An application developer, for example, can use a standardised software command to operate a window without needing to understand the detailed architecture of the window motor and its control unit.

This kind of abstraction is one of the foundations of a software-defined vehicle. A standardised software layer sits between the hardware and the applications, allowing functions to be developed more quickly and reused across different models.

Gleo AI is designed to understand the driver's intent

One of Pleos Connect's key features is Gleo AI, an in-car voice assistant built around a large language model. It can take conversational and driving context into account, process several commands in a single request and control functions such as navigation, climate settings and seat heating.

The system can also identify where in the cabin a command came from. That allows functions such as climate control or seat heating to be adjusted specifically for the driver or front passenger.

Alongside Gleo AI, 42dot is developing Gleo Guard, a safety layer designed to interpret the user's actual intent and prevent potentially unsafe or incorrectly understood commands from being carried out.

Similar AI techniques are also being developed for autonomous driving. 42dot is working on vision-language-action, or VLA, models that connect visual perception and contextual understanding with vehicle decision-making and control. An important part of that work is creating measurable evaluation criteria, because real-world traffic situations do not always have a single objectively correct response.

IONIQ 3 brings the new system to Europe

For European customers, 42dot's work will become tangible first through the IONIQ 3. The compact EV is expected to go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The IONIQ 3 is based on Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMP platform but uses a 400 V electrical architecture rather than the 800 V system found in larger IONIQ models. Two battery sizes are offered: 42.2 and 61 kWh. The Standard Range version offers up to 344 km of WLTP range, while the Long Range model reaches up to 497 km.

Under optimal conditions, DC fast charging from 10 to 80% takes around 29 minutes. Depending on specification, the car also supports AC charging at up to 22 kW.

For Hyundai, however, the IONIQ 3 matters for more than its electric powertrain. By introducing Pleos Connect, it becomes the first European Hyundai to give customers a clear view of the Group's wider software strategy.

Hyundai Motor Group aims to equip approximately 20 million Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles with Pleos Connect by 2030.

AI is also becoming a tool for engineers and factories

Hyundai is increasingly using AI outside the vehicle as well. Its Crash Safety AI Assistant helps engineers search, compare and review crash-test results, images and previous engineering analyses.

According to Hyundai, the system has reduced the time required to identify relevant cases and review analysis material by around 90%. The aim is not to replace engineering judgement, but to reduce the time engineers spend searching large volumes of data for useful information.

In manufacturing, the Group is using vision AI to identify vehicle identification numbers automatically. Cameras on production lines read VINs and verify in real time that each vehicle matches the production information held in the system. Hyundai Motor and Kia are already using the technology across roughly 70 manufacturing processes in Korea, the United States, Europe, India and the Asia-Pacific region.

The work of 42dot and Hyundai reflects a broader shift across the automotive industry. Software is no longer limited to screens and entertainment; it increasingly links vehicle control, the user interface, engineering and manufacturing. In Europe, the IONIQ 3 will be one of the first Hyundai models in which customers can see that transition clearly.