Seems I missed some Garmin news last week, so here it is now. First off, German car maker Volkswagen is offering Garmin Nuvis as part of what it calls a Click and Ride option for all VWs — well, all VWs in Europe, at least. Looks like the Garmins that will be available with an after-market kit installation kit put in by a dealer are from the Nuvi 7×5 line of devices: 4.3 inch screens, digital traffic channel reception, 3D imagery, spoken street names, and Bluetooth for hands-free calling.

VW eschewed the suction cup mount for a dashboard installation kit that positions the Garmin Nuvi next to the steering wheel and routes the cables to the car’s radio underneath the dash. The kit can be removed and reused in another vehicle, however, without leaving any original traces on the original car’s dash, Volkswagen says. Navigation instructions are automatically output via the vehicle’s audio system.

“Eschewed” is your official GPS Maniac Big Word of the day.

Anyway, it looks like this will only be a European option, however; VW has no mention of this on its North American site. The original announcement came on the VW corporate website last week, which is naturally in German. If you are sporting around Europe in a VW at the moment and want a Garmin Nuvi, it will set you back €439 if you want Bluetooth; €409 Euros if you can live without it.

my.Garmin.com Gets Updated

In other Garmin-related news the company says it has added enhancements to its my.Garmin.com website, the company’s free portal for its device users. These include:

• map information; customers are notified when new maps are available and can determine which maps are best for them.
• software updates.
• support, which includes an online library of frequently asked questions.
• product registration, which includes updates on warranty status and access to product-specific services and software.

Comments are closed.