Hyundai Mobis’ holographic windshield is a big upgrade for in-car HUDs at CES 2025

Car head-up displays (HUDs) date back to 1988, and although they’ve gotten brighter and more colorful over the years, today’s more sophisticated applications still seem a bit primitive. But after seeing what Hyundai Mobis (which makes auto parts for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis) is calling the world’s first full 3D head-up display at CES 2025, I felt like I was looking forward to a major evolution in in-car infotainment.

Unlike traditional reflective HUDs, the Hyundai Mobis’ 3D Head-Up Display (HWD) consists of two main components: a projector (or in this case multiple projectors) hidden under the dashboard and a special optical film with carefully tuned wavelength sensitivity embedded inside The windshield itself. This combination allows HWD to output brighter, more colorful images at shallower viewing angles. Unless you’re sitting in the right position, you may not even be able to see the HUD at all.

In the Hyundai Mobis Kia EV9 concept car, the HWD system is not just limited to a small nook under the windshield. Instead, it is divided into three different zones spanning the entire width of the car: two for the driver and one for the passenger. For the driver, the HWD system can display basic things like vehicle speed, directions, and more. But things get interesting when it displays 3D maps that can adjust in real-time based on your location, adding a whole new dimension to helping you reach your destination.

For passengers, their dedicated section of HWD can be used independently to check vehicle information or just watch a video or play games. Most importantly, due to the limited viewing angles of Hyundai Mobis technology, the driver cannot see the passenger side of the HWD, so there is no risk of distraction. The whole system is rather impressive, as much of the technology is hidden under the dashboard. The only clue that HWD is different from conventional applications is that if you look closely at the windshield when it’s off, you can see a faint outline where the optical film is sandwiched between the glass.

1 / 5

3D rendering of Hyundai Mobis windshield at CES 2025

On the driver’s side, HWD is split into two sections that can be configured from the car’s home screen.

After seeing Hyundai Mobis’ demo, I also had the opportunity to speak to one of the engineers behind HWD, Dr. Minho Shin, who added additional context and insight into the technology. Through a translator, Dr. Shen told me that the company envisions its HWD system as a way to augment the head display found in most modern cars, which likely serves as the main control center for processing what you see on the windshield. For passengers, they could be able to control what they see on their side of the HWD simply by sending content from their phone. Furthermore, the position and size of the 3D display makes it easier for the driver to see and interact with useful tools such as 3D maps in real time compared to current technology. Dr. Shen even said it’s possible to create a version of the HWD that covers the full width and vertical height of the windshield, which would look like something straight out of every sci-fi or cyberpunk movie ever made. However, due to laws in many countries, this type of job is not widely permitted.

Now we should mention that at CES 2025, BMW demonstrated similar technology in its car . The Bavarian automaker’s approach is arguably a little further along, at least when it comes to integration into and availability of its existing infotainment system, which is scheduled to arrive in all new models by the end of 2025. However, when you look closely, it seems… BMW almost cheats a bit by using a black film that runs along the bottom of the windshield instead of being completely transparent as with HWD, which could give Hyundai’s Mobi technology noticeably better driver visibility and awareness.

While BMW’s panoramic HUD is scheduled to arrive first, Hyundai Mobis won’t be far behind as the company hopes to put the HWD into production by the end of 2026.