Chrysler Group will offer first dealer-activated navigation systems

Starting later this year, the Chrysler Group will become the first automaker to offer after-sale dealer-activated navigation on vehicles equipped with certain Uconnect infotainment systems. The announcement was made today at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and will allow owners to more fully utilize the potential already built into their cars and trucks even if they did not choose to have this functionality operational at the time of purchase. 

"Sometimes customers don’t realize what they want until they need it," says Marios Zenios, vice president-Uconnect Systems and Services. "That’s fine. We can help. With dealer-activated navigation, we are adopting a ‘no-customer-left-behind’ attitude."

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First vehicles to offer this new service will be the 2013 Ram 1500 pickup and SRT Viper as well as the 2014 Fiat 500L. Navigation system functionality for buyers who take advantage of the dealer-activation process will be the same as a factory-ordered system with map data that includes points of interest, junction views, lane guidance, speed-limit information, intersection zoom and trip programming as well as turn-by-turn audio instructions. Zenios also notes that this new capability should make future Chrysler products even more attractive candidates for inclusion on used and Certified Pre Owned markets.
 

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Chrysler also plans to sweeten the basic Uconnect experience for 2013 by adding Internet radio capability to its suite of in-vehicle features through the introduction of Uconnect Access Via Mobile. This fully-upgradable/customizable enhancement adds Aha, iHeart Radio, Pandora Internet Radio and Slacker Radio apps and integrates them with the vehicle’s Uconnect Access system.