Although we have our eyes on the Detroit show, the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is next week in Vegas, and one of the big announcements there will be Kia's UVO voice control system — the first serious challenge to Ford's Sync technology.

Very likely, the UVO user experience will be similar to Sync. Both systems were developed with Microsoft. Hyundai-Kia formed its partnership with Microsoft in May 2008, and at the end of that year, Ford's exclusive development contract with Gates and Co. expired.

Kia hasn't announced which model in its current lineup will get UVO first, but we'd be very surprised if it wasn't a Forte.

Automotive News (sub.req), Autoblog