South Korean auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis has started to produce instrument clusters with digital displays with an aim to generate future growth, the company said Wednesday.

Making inroads into the global market for digital instruments, the auto component unit of Hyundai Motor Group, will supply 7-inch digital displays for the electric version of the Kona, a compact sport utility vehicle this month, it said in a statement.

By 2020, the company also plans to produce 12.3-inch digital instrument clusters to secure its presence in the growing sector. Instrument clusters with digital displays are increasingly replacing electromechanical pointer instruments, as it displays more information than analog types. They also add futuristic features to latest vehicles.



The market size of the global automotive digital instrument cluster is expected to hit 9 trillion won ($8.3 billion) by 2023. Eight of 10 new vehicles are predicted to deploy such digital systems in the next five years.

The market growth will be fueled by increasing demand for premium and electric cars, the company said, citing data from the market research institute IHS Markit.

So far, Hyundai Motor Group, which has two carmakers -- Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors -- has used digital clusters manufactured by Japan’s Denso and Germany’s Continental AG.

The newly developed digital display of Hyundai Mobis is based on Autosar, a standardized software platform for intelligent mobility, and has high resolution display operated by a self-developed central processing unit.

Not many auto component makers hold exclusive technologies of all four major sectors – head-up displays, surround view monitoring, infotainment and digital displays, a Mobis official said.

Based on its confidence in technology, the company hopes to secure $10 billion worth of instrument cluster orders from carmakers around the world in 2022.

Earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show, Hyundai Mobis introduced digital displays for future cars that bolstered user experience. The company is also developing augmented reality-based heads-up displays to reduce driver distraction and increase safety.

“We strive to become an ICT company that leads future auto technology, by pushing the development of clusters, AR HUD as well as various connectivity solutions,” the official said.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)