SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor will debut a voice-guided car navigation system developed with Chinese internet giant Baidu by the end of the year, hoping to revive sales as it grapples with South Korean boycotts in China.

Navigation systems equipped in Hyundai cars sold in China will feature the Baidu MapAuto and Duer OS Auto systems. The MapAuto application uses real-time traffic data to devise the best route and allows the driver to use a smartphone to input destinations ahead of time.

The Duer OS Auto speech recognition system lets the driver operate the car navigation system or adjust air conditioning and other settings with voice commands.

"We will partner with such Chinese companies as Baidu in the future to strengthen development in the IT field," said Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun at a recent unveiling of new cars. Going forward, the partners will further deepen cooperation in self-driving technology.

Hyundai's new-car sales plummeted 60% to 52,485 units in May, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, hit by Chinese boycotts of South Korean products in response to the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system. Hyundai hopes that the partnership with the Chinese company will soften the blow from the diplomatic rift.

Meanwhile, Baidu also formed partnerships with German auto part makers Bosch and Continental, seeking to expand its business in telematics, a technology that uses communication services to improve vehicle safety and security.