Garmin has today announced a pivotal upgrade to the Garmin Drive product line with a new wave of portable navigation devices (PNDs) designed to simplify the driving experience for road trips and daily commutes alike.
The revamped sat-navs include easy-to-use models with 5.0, 5.5, or 6.95-inch display sizes. By focusing on features that matter most, Garmin Drive customers can benefit from high-resolution edge-to-edge displays, easy-to-follow maps with 3D buildings and terrain, and valuable travel information to assist on road trips. The 2019 Garmin Drive series is being showcased in the Garmin booth at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 8-11.
“We are particularly proud of our Garmin DriveSmart 55 with a high resolution, 5.5”, edge-to-edge display that offers our customers a bigger display view in a compact design” said Dan Bartel, Garmin worldwide vice president of consumer sales. “In combination with faster route calculation times, an intuitive user interface and 3D landmarks for easy orientation, it is the perfect companion for any road trip”.
The new Garmin Drive product line now includes Galileo in addition to GPS to improve overall navigation experience in more challenging environments. This is particularly helpful when driving in places without a clear view of the sky, as in dense urban environments.
The new sat-navs are complemented with intuitive menus that feature voice-activated navigation to help drivers keep their hands on the steering wheel and built-in Wi-FiÒ that allows select models to perform simple map and software updates without relying on a computer. Helpful driver alerts, like school zone or sharp curves warnings, can potentially increase situational awareness and encourage safer driving. Plus, all Garmin Drive 52 and Garmin DriveSmart 55/65 come with Live Traffic, either via smartphone or via Digital Traffic, to show easy-to-understand, time-saving detours on the map.
With Garmin Real Directions, users can focus on the drive without the stress as the sat-nav easily guides them using recognisable landmarks, buildings and traffic lights. TripAdvisor traveller ratings are also available to help drivers discover highly-rated places offering the most convenient accommodation or favourite local restaurants, and Foursquare provides access to millions of new and popular points of interest. Additionally, all of the Garmin Drive models are equipped with map updates.
Furthermore, the Garmin DriveSmart 55 and 65 are compatible with the new Garmin Drive app, and the Garmin Drive 52 is compatible with the Smartphone Link app. Once the respective app is downloaded, the sat-nav can wirelessly connect with the driver’s smartphone via Bluetooth to help simplify the drive. Drivers will benefit from smart notifications, live traffic, live parking details, real-time safety camera information and weather conditions.
The new 2019 Garmin Drive lineup includes the Garmin Drive 52, the Garmin DriveSmart 55 and the Garmin DriveSmart 65. The sat-navs are expected to be available this month with suggested retail prices ranging from £119.99 to £249.99 (€139.99 to €289.99).
