SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ Hyundai formed a partnership with German chipmaker Infineon Technologies AG to jointly develop automotive electronics, South Korea's largest automaker said Friday.

Under the agreement, the two sides opened a joint research centre at Hyundai Motor Co.'s headquarters in Seoul to develop electronic parts for cars that Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors produce, the company said in a statement.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

``With the ever-increasing amount of semiconductors in cars, a close co-operation between automotive manufacturers and semiconductor manufacturers is absolutely indispensable,'' said Lee Hyun-soon, chief technology officer of Hyundai in the statement.

The two companies expect their first jointly developed products to be used in Hyundai and Kia cars starting 2010, the statement said.