In cooperation with Garmin, Volvo Cars has developed an elegant navigation kit that can be fitted to all new Volvo cars. The dealer installed accessory kit includes both a mounting bracket and the navigator unit. It will be available by the end of 2007.
Volvo Cars has designed a smart mounting bracket for Garmin's latest hand navigator, the nüvi 760. The bracket is fitted on top of the dashboard, offering the driver a convenient plug-and-play solution.
This setup replaces the provisional suction cups and messy wires that often come with portable navigators. Volvo's bracket has an integrated power connection for the 178-gram Garmin unit – and the bracket can easily be folded out of the way when the driver takes the navigator out of the car.
The system has a number of other benefits:
Its location on the dashboard has been chosen with care to make sure that the unit does not distract the driver and reduce his concentration on the road.
A crash test evaluation by Volvo Cars' safety experts also determined that placing the unit on top of the dashboard helps to prevent injuries in the event of a collision.
The navigator has a fully integrated antenna and a bright colour screen in widescreen format.
The unit can easily be moved between different cars.
The Garmin nüvi 760 comes pre-programmed with detailed two- and three-dimensional maps covering Europe (alternatively the USA and Canada).
It also includes an integrated database with Volvo information, including the quickest route to the closest Volvo workshop.
The navigation package fits all new Volvo car models. It can also be fitted to a number of earlier car models. They include the Volvo S80 from model year 1999, the S60 and V70 from 2000, the XC70 from 2001 and recent model years of the Volvo S40, V50, C70 and XC90.
Later, it will also be possible to get the TMC (Traffic Message Channel) function.
The package will initially be available in Europe and North America. The recommended price for a complete installation, including the Garmin unit, is 699 Euros in Europe and 879 US Dollars in North America.
