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| Taking Your Living Room On the Road |
March 9, 2004 |
By Paul Williams
The recent refinement of mobile entertainment, communications and navigation systems has automobile manufacturers scrambling to build vehicles with the latest in high-tech convenience technologies. Initially available only in luxury vehicles, high-end devices are becoming widespread in an increasing selection of SUVs, minivans and cars. The $40,800 2004 Acura TL sedan is a good example. It’s an entry-level luxury car that incorporates a HandsFreeLink system based on Bluetooth, a short-range wireless technology that’s gaining widespread use in computers, PDAs and other portable electronics. Upon entry into the vehicle, the owner’s Bluetooth-compatible cellular phone automatically connects to the car, enabling a range of hands-free actions. Auto-dialling for the phone and voice-activation for the climate control and optional navigation system are linked to the in-car microphone and speakers. Up to five separate phones can be connected simultaneously. According to Acura product planner Anton Yewchyn-Pawczuk, “Using voice commands, you can even instruct the car’s navigation system to find the nearest Italian restaurant and phone ahead for a reservation.” Other vehicles that use Bluetooth include BMW, Chrysler and Saab.The Acura TL doesn’t offer DVD video (most sedans don’t), but it does boast the first automotive application of a DVD-A 5.1 digital audio system. Like many manufacturers, Acura teamed up with outside audio specialists, in this case Pioneer, to build a system specifically for the car. Along with the TL’s 225-watt eight-speaker surround sound system, the car features an “acoustic” windshield that reduces noise intrusion by incorporating a layer of resin between two layers of safety glass. The system, according to the manufacturer, creates striking levels of sound quality and the ambience of a live performance.“We’re marketing this car as a high-tech vehicle for executive/near-luxury buyers who are up-to-date with the latest communications developments,” Yewchyn-Pawczuk said. “We’ve packed it with equipment that will appeal to the tech-savvy buyer.”ROLLING MOVIESAccording to the U.S.-based Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), consumer demand for audio technology is doubling year-over-year. However, for many families on a long drive, it’s the factory-installed mobile theatre that’s pretty much guaranteed to keep the peace. Paul Fleet, manager of public relations for DaimlerChrysler Canada, said systems like these are now a feature of the modern car. “It’s becoming the means by which premium vehicles are distinguished,” he said. “The first question out of my daughter’s mouth when I bring home one of the company’s vehicles is, ‘Does it have DVD?’” Chrysler’s $39,900 Pacifica “sports tourer,” for example, can be equipped with a DVD package that includes a 17-cm drop-down video monitor, a six-disc CD/DVD changer and two wireless headphones for $2,130 (this includes $450 for a power rear liftgate that comes with a special headliner required for the monitor). An extra $900 will buy the Infinity theatre-style THX-certified digital audio to accompany it. Like most systems, when occupants tire of movies they can also plug in video-game consoles like Sony’s Playstation 2.Saturn’s L300 sedan and wagon ($24,290 to $26,290) offer rear-seat DVD entertainment (the screen is rear-facing and mounted between the front seats) for $1,750. As well, the new Malibu Maxx ($26,205) “extended sedan” will also offer this option, and numerous aftermarket systems are available to retrofit all types of vehicles. Even pickup trucks are getting in on the act. Ford’s 2004 F-150 features a unique roof-mounted powered accessory track to which an optional video monitor and DVD system (among other accessories) can be attached. Nissan’s Titan pickup and the Chevrolet Silverado also offer DVD packages and navigation systems. In Canada, an entertainment system bargain is the $950 rear-seat DVD package in Dodge and Chrysler minivans. “Of course, we’re still working on how the cars drive,” said Fleet of his company’s vehicles, adding that attention to electronic peripherals has significantly increased. “It’s now a major selling point.”MULTI-THEATRESAlthough entertainment systems are available as stand-alone options in many vehicles, others, like the Acura MDX SUV ($50,300) and Infiniti FX35/FX45 crossover ($52,700 to $60,200), bundle an on-board DVD-based GPS into packages that feature two video monitors, one in-dash for the navigation system and one ceiling-mounted for movies, plus separate DVD players for each application. These “technology” packages add $5,300 and $7,500 to the vehicles’ purchase prices, respectively. The in-dash screen cannot play movies.Nissan Canada product planning manager Jill Evans said the sales rate for the technology package in the Infiniti FX35/FX45 is high. “Luxury vehicle buyers are used to a certain level of convenience and comfort. Advanced technology provides the conveniences they want, and demand for it is growing,” Evans said. Reflecting the demand, all new vehicles released by Nissan in 2004 will have an optional navigation system.
This means that between Nissan and Infiniti, a navigation system will be available in 12 models, which is virtually the entire line-up. Including a navigation system is one thing; using it is another. A recent study by J.D. Power and Associates connects user-friendliness of the new technology with its acceptance by consumers. It points out that younger buyers tend to use navigation systems regularly and typically are much more satisfied with the technology than their older counterparts.“In general,” said Acura’s Yewchyn-Pawczuk, “navigation systems are being continuously advanced and becoming much easier to use. Over time, the trend will be for greater integration of the navigation system with climate controls, and voice activation for a range of vehicle systems.” In its first year of introduction in Canada, 40 per cent of those who bought an Acura MDX selected the technology option. According to J.D. Power and Associates, similar systems are available on nearly one third of new vehicles sold in North America, and 500,000 North American buyers chose the packages in 2003, up from 300,000 the year before.Even if you have no difficulty using the technology, what navigation systems don’t do is account for construction zones or upcoming obstacles. Consequently, a GPS navigation guide can blithely direct a driver into the thick of urban gridlock, rather than plotting a route to avoid congestion. To address this limitation, systems that integrate real-time traffic information are becoming available in the U.S., and Canada will likely follow suit. These add another level of usefulness to GPS systems, taking them beyond electronic maps and route planners based simply on time or distance.
THE ULTIMATE TECH TRIP
If you do get stuck in traffic, you can accomplish quite a lot, especially if you’re in the back seat of a 2005 Bentley. In this ultra-luxury car with its smorgasbord of high-tech equipment, the rear seat passenger is faced with two 32.5cm video monitors and a remote to control a range of electronic functions. A Nokia cellular phone plugs into a receptacle in the armrest, delivering Internet access. A wireless keyboard connects to a selection of application software through an on-board computer. One monitor can be used to watch a DVD movie selected from the six-disc DVD changer, or to surf the Web or watch television, while on the other, Microsoft Windows displays a suite of business programs. A third monitor on the dashboard doubles as a navigation screen for the chauffeur, and a video screen to watch movies when the car is parked. On-board telematics pinpoint the vehicle’s location and direct communication with a Bentley concierge is available at the press of a button.While the half-million dollar Bentley has more of everything, the actual electronics on-board are not that much farther ahead than those in the Acura TL, Chrysler Pacifica or Infiniti FX35/FX45.This year, expect to see greater availability, acceptance and demand for these electronic systems in everyday vehicles.
Web ride
Acura Canada http://www.acura.ca
Bentley http://www.bentleymotors.com
DaimlerChrysler Canada http://www.daimlerchrysler.ca
Nissan Canada http://www.nissancanada.com
Saturn Canada http://www.saturncanada.com
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