Hyundai Mobis "Joint Development of Premium Sound with UK Meridian"

Hyundai Mobis-Meridian Jointly Developed Premium Sound System First Installed in Kia K8

Promotional video for the premium sound system collaborated with Kia and Meridian, recently showcased by Hyundai Mobis at K-POP Square near Samsung Station in Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] Hyundai Mobis announced on the 21st that it is targeting the global complete vehicle market by partnering with the UK premium audio system leader Meridian Audio. The premium sound system jointly developed by Hyundai Mobis and Meridian will be first installed in the Kia K8, which will be launched in the second quarter.

Hyundai Mobis has strengthened its premium sound product lineup within its representative emotional product portfolio of in-vehicle audio, enabling proactive response to the diverse needs of global customers. Starting with the Kia K8, the company plans to expand the supply of premium sound systems developed in collaboration with Meridian to various vehicle types including global electric vehicles, luxury cars, and SUVs.

Meridian is an audio specialist company with over 40 years of history, headquartered in Huntingdon near the University of Cambridge in the UK. It has secured numerous technologies specialized in high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) audio, which refers to high-performance, high-quality audio, starting from home audio systems.

With this strategic partnership decision, Hyundai Mobis and Meridian emphasized that they have created a win-win opportunity. Until now, the premium in-vehicle sound market has been dominated by a few global specialized companies, making it relatively difficult for new entrants to penetrate the market.

Through this collaboration, Hyundai Mobis explained that it can target the global market by adding Meridian’s innovative image to its self-developed premium sound technology. Meridian has established a stable global supply system for vehicles through Hyundai Mobis’s production quality technology, a specialist in automotive parts.

Wonwoo Lee, Executive Director of Hyundai Mobis’s Global Sales Strategy Office, stated, “We will target the global market with a high-quality product that combines Meridian’s innovative technology and craftsmanship demonstrated in the premium sound market with Hyundai Mobis’s infotainment technology.”

Born Through a Two-Year Joint Development Process

The premium sound system developed through the collaboration between Hyundai Mobis and Meridian was born after about two years of joint development. In particular, Hyundai Mobis played a pivotal role in designing speakers and amplifiers, which are symbolic of premium audio.

The premium sound system installed in the K8 applies the world’s first in-vehicle NATEC speaker, which mixes natural pulp and nano metal. Titanium material is applied to the tweeter responsible for high frequencies, providing clean and clear sound.

Before the launch of the K8, Hyundai Mobis reportedly invited a large number of maestros and engineers from Meridian to Korea, who worked closely with new car developers to meticulously tune the audio optimized for the K8. Through this, they realized balanced bass reflecting the characteristics of premium sound, distortion-free sound reproduction capability, and delicate expression that does not cause fatigue.

The K8 is equipped with a total of 14 speakers. Compared to existing premium sound systems, the woofer output is increased, resulting in excellent bass reproduction. Advanced sound effects also stand out. Intelli Q corrects volume and sound quality in real time according to driving speed changes, and the Horizon effect allows the driver to configure the desired stereo sound space.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.