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Imported car companies are adopting a “Koreanized navigation” strategy in response to complaints over the long navigation update cycle. (provided by Honda Korea)

Imported car companies are adopting a “Koreanized navigation” strategy in response to complaints over the long navigation update cycle.

Japanese automakers were the first to adopt this kind of “Koreanization” strategy. According to accounts from imported car industry sources on Mar. 23, Toyota Motor Korea has been installing South Korean Mappers navigation in its locally marketed models since 2011. Honda Korea has added South Korean navigation to its Accord since 2015. The main reason for the decision was complaints from consumers that the update cycle was too long. At the time, updates occurred roughly twice a year. While this was tailored to head office standards, it ended up a source of disgruntlement thanks to local characteristics in South Korea - including periodic changes in street and store names - and local consumers’ IT device standards.

BMW has been partnering with a South Korean map company. After setting up its own R&D center in South Korea in 2015, the automaker joined forces with a local map data supply company to develop a South Korean navigation system last year. The system was included in its recently launched New 7 series. Jaguar Land Rover Korea has become the first imported car maker to allow linking with the smartphone navigation TMap via application.

Mercedes-Benz Korea, which topped the list for imported car sales last year, continues to install its own navigation systems. Update cycles are one to two per year, and users must pay additional costs every time.

Among domestic automakers, different products are used for different completed vehicle companies. Hyundai-Kia includes navigation made by its own affiliate Hyundai Mnsoft.

No precise statistics are available for the navigation market. According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association and other sources, around half the 1,542,000 domestic cars sold in South Korea last year had navigation systems included, while the remainder are believed to use aftermarket systems installed separately by the buyer. The navigation market previously experienced rapid growth, climbing from 100,000 units in 2003 to 1.3 million in 2006 before reaching a peak of 1.75 million in 2010. The scale of the market has decreased by 15-20% per year since 2011 due to an increase in smartphone navigation users.

By Ko Na-mu, staff reporter

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