Hyundai will add Pokémon to its cars

Hyundai Motor Company has announced a partnership with the Pokémon franchise in its home market. As part of the collaboration, the brand’s car multimedia systems will feature themed interfaces featuring the characters Pikachu and Ditto.

This is not a separate special version of the car, but a digital update – new design themes for the Navigation Cockpit multimedia platform.

Two digital worlds: Pikachu and Ditto

The manufacturer has introduced two interface options:

• Pokémon Pikachu Quick Attack
• Pokémon Ditto World Theme

Users will be able to change the graphics of the digital instrument panel and central display, activate themed navigation, as well as animations when starting and shutting down the car.

In fact, this is a deep customization of the visual part of the interface – from iconography to dynamic effects.

For which models is it available

The new themes are integrated into the brand’s current models, including:

• New-generation Hyundai Palisade
• Hyundai Nexo
• Hyundai Ioniq 6
• Hyundai Ioniq 9

Thus, the company covers both flagship crossovers and the electrified line.

More than fan service

Automotive collaborations with anime or pop culture are usually aimed at a narrow audience – motorsport or tuning enthusiasts. In the case of Pokémon, the reach is much wider: it is a global brand with a long-standing fan base of all ages.

It is also important that the partnership logically fits into Hyundai’s electrification strategy. Pikachu is a character associated with electricity, and his appearance in the Ioniq series of electric cars forms a clear association with electric drive. The emphasis is not on technical characteristics, but on the user experience and emotional component.

Car as a digital space

Hyundai is increasingly positioning the car as part of a personal digital ecosystem. The ability to change the interface design comes from the practice of customizing smartphones and gadgets, to which the young audience is accustomed.

This approach expands the role of the car – from a means of transportation to an element of lifestyle and a platform for self-expression.