Detroit – GPS supplier TomTom
expanded its car-dealer distribution efforts with the launch of a pair of
portable navigation devices (PNDs) available through Chevrolet dealerships.
TheTomTom VIA 1405 and VIA 1505
are available as part of Chevrolet’s accessories line and plug into a vehicle’s
cigarette lighter for power and mount to the windshield or dash.
Under the Chevy deal, consumers who purchase a
2009 or newer Camaro, Colorado, Cobalt, Express, Impala or HHR get the option
to choose either PND. Dealers will set prices, TomTom said.
The VIA 1405 and VIA 1505
feature 4.3- and 5-inch touchscreens, respectively, and offer spoken street
names, advanced lane guidance, map updates, foldaway mount integrated into the
devices, and an emergency menu to find
emergency providers such as police, fire stations and hospitals.
The distribution deal follows the launch last year of
car-dealer-installed TomTom GPS options for the Mazda CX-5 and Fiat’s Fiat 500.
In the Mazda, the TomTom system takes the form of a hideaway module that
connects to the vehicle’s 5.8-inch factory touchscreen monitor via USB. In the
Fiat, TomTom’s “semi-integrated” solution looks like a traditional
PND and can be used outside the car, but it sits in a dash-mounted cradle to
connect to vehicle wiring for power and to integrate with the vehicle’s
electronics systems. When plugged in, the device displays information from the
car’s trip computer and media player.
The Mazda and Fiat products were
designed to reduce the price of OEM navigation systems while offering such
aftermarket features in an OEM system as easy map upgrades, better graphics and
displays, TomTom said.
