ALFA Romeo aims to match BMW by offering satellite navigation as an option in its cars. The Alfa GTV, GTV V6 and Spider are now fitted as standard with the Philips CARiN head unit - which incorporates a small video display screen - making it relatively simple to add the satellite navigation hardware. Available as a dealer-fitted accessory, the satellite receiver and CD-ROM reader adds about $1500 to the cost. The Alfa 156 sedan can also be optioned with the satellite navigation system, even though the car does not come equipped as standard with the CARiN head unit. Consequently, the option costs $2500 in the stylish four-door. Although the system has proved popular in BMWs, it is still too early to determine whether Alfa buyers will respond to it with equal enthusiasm. "We're not sure what the take-up rate (for the satellite navigation system) will be, but we've made the choice easier for owners," Alfa Romeo Australia public relations manager Edward Rowe says. Despite the Philips unit's compact size, it is said to offer all the features associated with larger systems, from displaying route directions and voice instructions to plotting alternate routes. It also offers a selection of fastest, shortest, main road or back street route guidance to everything from railway stations to car parks. The CARiN system is claimed to boost road safety by allowing the driver to concentrate on the road while being given unambiguous route instructions. According to some estimates, if all cars were equipped with a satellite navigation system it would be the equivalent of having 15 per cent more roads because the existing streets would be used more efficiently.
