Garmin Introduces Four New Automotive GPS Navigators

July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Garmin unveiled four new innovative automotive GPS navigators today that offer consumers exciting new choices and further solidify Garmin's leadership in the automotive industry. From the smallest, most affordable car navigator, the StreetPilot i3 and the elegant iQue M3 with integrated pocket PC functions, to the exciting new StreetPilot c340 and StreetPilot 2720 with text-to-speech and traffic avoidance features, Garmin offers industry leading capabilities and value.

"The most exciting thing about this announcement is the variety of form factors and price points now available to consumers," said Gary Kelley, Garmin's director of marketing. "The i-series is a compact - but complete - car navigator whose roll-and-click operating style and low price point will make it appealing to a new audience of GPS consumers. The M3 offers a color TFT display with touch screen and also maintains contacts and appointments using the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system. The StreetPilot c340 and 2720 take the best features of their predecessors, the c330 and 2620, respectively - and add enhanced safety and convenience features like text-to- speech, which calls out turns by street name, and traffic avoidance so you can literally steer clear of congestion."

StreetPilot i-series
Priced as low as $299, the StreetPilot i-series is designed for any consumer who wants the benefits of GPS without paying thousands for an in-dash system. This inexpensive, portable automotive GPS navigator is smaller than a baseball, and features a unique and convenient click-to-enter scroll wheel and a "back" button -- which makes it easy to select a destination from the unit's menu-driven interface. The i2 and i3 provide voice prompted, turn-by-turn directions through a built-in speaker, and will automatically put drivers back on course if they miss a turn.

The StreetPilot i3 with a 2.2" color transflective TFT display has an estimated retail price of $399 and will arrive in stores in August. The StreetPilot i2 with a 2.2" monochrome display is expected to be available in October and has an estimated retail price of $299.

iQue M3
The iQue M3 is a value oriented automotive GPS navigator based on Microsoft's Window's Mobile operating system and incorporates the industry- acclaimed, easy-to-use operation of the Street Pilot "C" series, which enables users to operate the device with only the touch of a finger. This intuitive interface requires little input from the user and results in a customer's ability to see where they are on an electronic map, look up an address or point of interest and select the desired destination. An integrated speaker gives voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions to the destination. The iQue M3 has an estimated retail price of $499 and is expected to be available in July.

StreetPilot c340
The StreetPilot c340 makes driving easier and stress-free by integrating text to speech features and optional real-time traffic information in select metro areas. This traffic awareness is made possible via the new Garmin GTM10 TMC receiver that receives digital data from specific FM broadcast stations in select major metro areas throughout the United States and Europe through Clear Channel. The text to speech feature announces maneuvers by speaking the actual street name, turn direction, and when to turn. If the driver misses their turn, the c340 automatically calculates a new route to the destination. Notification of traffic delays is a c340 option that lets drivers see and avoid congested areas before they are deadlocked in traffic. Garmin has also added the ability for customers to augment the pre-loaded maps with custom POI's from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras. The StreetPilot c340 also offers the option of postal code data entry. The StreetPilot c340 is expected to be available in late-July 2005 at an estimated retail price of $799 (US).

StreetPilot 2720
The StreetPilot 2720 gives all the features of an in-dash system plus remote control operations and car-to-car portability. This top-of-the-line system puts drivers in total control of the road by providing enhancements like text-to-speech, WQVGA TFT display and optional traffic related information through the Garmin GTM10 TMC receiver. Garmin has also added the ability for customers to augment the pre-loaded maps with custom POI's from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras. The StreetPilot 2720 also offers the option of postal code data entry. The StreetPilot 2720 is expected to be available in July 2005 for an estimated retail price of $1099.

For more information, visit www.garmin.com

SOURCE Garmin International Inc.