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Survey: Rising cost of satnav

LONDON, England - In-car satnav and infotainment systems are far too expensive, says What Car? magazine.

That’s why car buyers should not only negotiate to their new ride's price but also haggle for a discount on options, including infotainment systems. The same should apply in South Africa.

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(The prices listed below are rand conversions from UK pound and while proportional will not accurately reflect the prices in South Africa.)

What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said (and Wheels24 agrees!): “If we all drive a hard bargain automakers will realise they can’t keep charging thousands for audio, navigation and connectivity features that we are all used to seeing for very little cost on our own smartphones.”

Wheels24 says: "Smartphones are capable of accessing google/streetview, satnav, bluetooth as well as streaming audio and multimedia, often at a fraction of the cost of conventional  built-in MMI systems. Automakers could perhaps team-up with phonemakers (i.e Apple, Samsung etc) and integrate user's phones. Perhaps a smartphone deal from automaker's could be on the cards?"

Prices for fully integrated systems range from (in the UK) £250 charged by Ford up to the £2000-plus demanded by a number of premium brands.

What Car? says features such as Bluetooth, USB and a digital radio should be standard on all new cars.

Pricey infotainment systems


Mercedes-Benz A160 SE
List price £20 150
What Car? Target Price £19 339
COMAND online: Six-disc CD changer, seven-inch display, HDD satnav, voice control, 10GB capacity
Option price £2300

BMW 114i SE
List price £17,990
What Car? Target Price £16,902
Media Package Professional : USB, BMW Assist, 6.5-inch LCD, enhanced Bluetooth, Navigation System Business
Option price £1995

Porsche Boxster 2.7
List price £37,589
What Car? Target Price £37,589
Porsche Communication Management: DVD compatible CD Drive, 7-inch WVGA colour touch screen, HD nav, USB.
Option price £2141

Mini Cooper 1.6
List price £14,900
What Car? Target Price £14,161
MINIConnected Navigation: Bluetooth, 6.5-inch screen, smartphone integration, USB, music streaming, navigation
Option price £1345

Best Buys


Ford B-Max 1.4 Studio
List price £12,995
What Car? Target Price £11,493
SYNC: Bluetooth and voice control, USB port, Emergency Assistance
Option price £250

Fiat 500 1.2 Pop
List price £9960
What Car? Target Price £9566
Blue & Me: Bluetooth, voice recognition, steering wheel controls, USB, digital audio file
Option price £270

Opel Adam 1.2 Jam
List price £11 255
What Car? Target Price £10 844
Intellilink: USB & Bluetooth, 7-inch touch screen smartphone system, media playback
Option price £275

Volkswagen up! 1.0 Take Up
List price £8095
What Car? Target Price £7814
Maps and More: Bluetooth and voice control, 5-inch removable navigation with Euro maps
Option price £300

Audi A3 1.4 TFSI SE
List price £19 205
What Car? Target Price £18 251
MMI with navigation 5.8-inch QVGA screen, Audi music interface, USB, MMI radio, voice control, SD card nav
Option price £495
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