Oakland,
Calif. – Suzuki and Nissan plan to join 16 other automotive brands in launching
Pandora’s personalized Internet radio service in factory sound systems, the
company announced.
Pandora is expanding its OEM presence at the
same time that it has expanded its aftermarket car audio presence. Aftermarket
head-unit control of a Pandora app on connected smartphones is available from
seven aftermarket suppliers, the company said.
In its latest announcements, Pandora said its
technology will be factory-installed in most 2013 model year Suzuki vehicles as
part of a Garmin-made infotainment system. The first Suzuki vehicles are
expected to be available at dealers beginning this fall.
From Nissan, Pandora will be featured in the
2013 Altima, expected to be available at dealers beginning in the summer of
2012.
In the Suzuki and Nissan vehicles, the audio
systems will control a Pandora app running on a paired iPhone. The systems will
support such Pandora functions as thumbs-up, thumbs-down and track skip.
