Suzuki offers up Garmin GPS on all 2009 SX4 vehicles

Back in the day, integrated GPS units were the stuff of luxury cars, gargantuan SUV cruisers, and lost old ladies. Suzuki is looking to change all of that by including the Garmin T.R.I.P. on all 2009 SX4 Sport and SX4 Crossover vehicles -- at no extra charge. As Suzuki gleefully points out, this marks the first time a sub-$16,000 car has included a GPS unit as standard equipment. The T.R.I.P. (Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play) sports a flip-up 4.3-inch screen and Bluetooth connectivity. As for software, it will include real-time traffic, weather forecasts, local event listings, community-based recommendations, and a gas station finder that can filter based on fuel prices. We're still fans of portable GPS units, but there is something elegant about those big-screened integrated monsters.

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 27th 2008 10:57AM]

This is good.

Here's to a future where these become standard, like power steering.

[Flashpoint @ Apr 27th 2008 11:03AM]

Suzukis suck

If I ever found myself in a japanese car, it would be a Lexus

[94 taurus owner @ Apr 27th 2008 12:14PM]

LS600H all the way.

[Lowen SoDium @ Apr 27th 2008 12:37PM]

Lexus is in a completely different price range, too.

Suzuki's are not bad cars at all for what they go for. I fact, since Toyota has changed the RAV4 (bigger, no manual transmission, worse mileage), I am considering a Suzuki SX4 Crossover instead.

[Eric @ Apr 27th 2008 11:36AM]

GPS is the new cell phone.

[94 taurus owner @ Apr 27th 2008 12:15PM]

Not really, cause you still need a cell phone to use Bluetooth.

[Eric @ Apr 27th 2008 5:45PM]

@94

I was referring to the march of technology.

Cell phones were once expensive and rare. They were very limited in function.

Then, production ramped up and tech improved. Soon features like large address books and color displays made them more convenient to use.

Now, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting some teenage girl with a phone glued to her head, yakking away.

GPS is following the same curve, unlike, say, the mp3 player, which was a fringe device, then the iPod and not much more (in terms of market share, not features or whatever).

[corgilabsG @ Apr 27th 2008 7:31PM]

@94

"Soon features like large address books and color displays made them more convenient to use."

those are not features. ask your cell phone provider why your phone is virtually bricked in the US.

[BrokenMonkey @ Apr 27th 2008 11:43AM]

Looks like a Nuvi 760

[adam @ Apr 27th 2008 4:16PM]

yeah it does. So i don't see why it can't be removable/ portable.

I mean it doesn't look like it's built into the car. That'd make it way more wesome in my mind.

[kal326 @ Apr 28th 2008 9:54AM]

Thats exactly what I was thinking, it looks like a nuvi tacked into a storage compartment. Looks like a quick and dirty job too, they didnt even bother to try and reshape the lid to make it even look integrated.

I'm sure it wouldn't be to much hassle to get it loose from that enclosure if you want to update with a newer unit.

[Tim @ Apr 27th 2008 11:57AM]

well this is one good reason to buy a suzuki . . . too bad its the only one.

[LTM @ Apr 27th 2008 4:32PM]

too bad you've never driven a swift sport; you'd change your mind

[Jason @ Apr 27th 2008 12:08PM]

Eh, integrated GPS systems are huge cash cows for automakers so I don't really understand why Suzuki is receiving praise for cashing in on making an expensive option standard equipment. I'd rather deal with a non integrated system that could be easily replaced years from now when it becomes seriously out dated.

[94 taurus owner @ Apr 27th 2008 12:13PM]

Well I do like and have been considering the 5 door SX4.

[Artemiy @ Apr 27th 2008 12:16PM]

Only yesterday I watched Doctor Who, where some kind of automated gps-trafficcontrol (A.T.M.O.S.) systems were installed in almost every car... by alien invaders to conquer Earth. Just being ironic :)

[Eric @ Apr 27th 2008 5:46PM]

And don't use those bluetooth headsets, either.

[Tragedy @ Apr 27th 2008 12:24PM]

Wow, it's about time. GPS has been standard equipment on entry-level compacts in Japan for years. USA, all the way.

[SFO Kevin @ Apr 27th 2008 1:54PM]

Sadly Suzuki is a Japanese firm... This idea came here in a boat... USA down the trade drain...

[Allan L. @ Apr 27th 2008 1:58PM]

Looks for all the world like a nüvi that you could unplug. Wouldn't that be a fine idea?

[roman.kim @ Apr 27th 2008 3:48PM]

Don't you think 4.3" is far from "big-screened integrated monsters"? That's PMP size....

[Wodheila @ Apr 27th 2008 3:57PM]

Reluctant about the "built-ins. Hope they're better made than my Nuvi 350 that I just shipped back because it lost all the sound. Imagine if you have to take it out of the dast to do that.

[BChau @ Apr 27th 2008 6:04PM]

Now that GPS is built-in as a standard, the next step would be to incorporate a rear view camera and use the LCD screen for rear view when reversing the car. Every year, there are accidents where parents hit their children playing behind the car when reversing.

[Tim @ Apr 27th 2008 8:02PM]

It's probably the same system Volvo uses, a car specific mount with with a nuvi 700 series dock.
This is then hardwired into the car for charging.
The Volvo has only a charging connection, no audio integration.
This will probably be the same.
The Land Rover Defender SVX will have the same thing...
It's just a Nuvi with some custom software, you can buy the mount on it's own and use a normal Nuvi.

[LimboMan @ Apr 28th 2008 12:01AM]

Looks to me like it seems more like a docking solution for the 7xx series like the 780 I have in my car. All the features mentioned is consistent with the MSN Direct feature set. Sounds like a smart way to "integrate" a GPS solution for carmakers. I'm a fan of the use of a 'standard' Garmin dock for this purpose...

[JRM @ Apr 28th 2008 1:46AM]

In Japan, They've had all of this stuff in their cars for nearly ten years already. In fact, most "bottom of the line" kei-cars pack this as standard equipment.
My friend's 2-yr old corolla has a computer for a console that switches interface between music player, television, GPS, and a rearview camera to look behind you. This, on an average Toyota Corolla.

I didn't know this until I came to Japan.

My conclusion is this: North American car buyers get so totally gypped it's absolutely ridiculous. It's disgusting how the largest car-buying market gets such shoddy treatment!

[JRM @ Apr 28th 2008 2:01AM]

That's because you're looking at suzukis made in America. In Japan, the "Lexus" brand doesn't even exist, and it's not even Toyota's high-end car over here. Suzukis, here in Japan, are the "go to" car for most people; totally durable, stylish, and practical (It's like what we think of the Honda Civic--which Suzuki cars outnumber in many places in Japan).

And I cannot stress enough how much of a "culture shock" it has been when even the Daihatsus here in Japan are light-years better than anything Detroit has puked out in the last 8-10 years.

[dos @ Apr 28th 2008 4:18AM]

I just got a 2008 SX4 and now I feel gypped. It's a great car though :)

[Rob @ Apr 28th 2008 9:08AM]

It's removable.....it's a Nuvi 750 with custom software for Suzuki.

[palehorse @ Apr 29th 2008 10:35AM]

I'm just impressed that Suzuki still makes cars at all... are they actually popular in Japan?!

wow...