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Starting today, Chevrolet dealers in all 50 states will begin taking orders for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt. For the 2012 model year, General Motors has priced the Volt at $39,995 (including an $850 destination charge) before federal and state incentives. The base MSRP of the 2012 Volt is $1,005 less than the sticker price of the 2011 Volt. For the record, GM says that the reduced price of the 2012 model is due to the “wider range of options and configurations that come with the expansion of Volt production for sale nationally.”

For the 2012 model year, Volt buyers will be faced with choosing from a total of seven option packages. A loaded Volt – packed with luxury touches like leather seats, a backup camera, navigation system, premium paint and fancy dancy wheels – comes in at $46,265 (including the aforementioned $850 destination charge).

The 2012 Volt will be offered with two additional interior accents: white and spiced red; and two brand spankin’ new exterior hues: Summit White and Blue Topaz Metallic. Some additional features for 2012 include standard keyless entry with passive locking, OnStar turn-by-turn navigation, Chevrolet MyLink and 17-inch alloys with black inserts (late availability).

Customers across the nation can visit their nearest Chevy dealer to order a 2012 Volt. Of course, ordering a Volt does not necessarily mean that you’ll take delivery of it any time soon. For the Volt’s estimated arrival date in your neck of the woods, refer to the map above. Also, don’t forget to check out GM’s press release after the jump.

Continue reading 2012 Chevrolet Volt priced at $39,995*, now available to order nationwide

2012 Chevrolet Volt priced at $39,995*, now available to order nationwide

Onstar is ready to to bring its helpful technology to the masses. It’s no longer required that you own a General Motors vehicle to take advantage of the Onstar services. Starting this summer, you will be able to head into your local Best Buy, hand over $299, and walk out with the OnStar FMV.

Once you fork over the initial $299, you’ll also pay about $100 to have it installed. After that, you will need to pick a subscription plan, which starts at $18.95 per month or up to $199 for a full year on uninterrupted OnStar FMV service.

Those three letters mean For My Vehicle, and OnStar is bringing all its popular services to your rear-view mirror. Hands-free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, stolen vehicle location assistance and even the Automatic Crash Response system.

That last one is achieved thanks to a built-in accelerometer and internal GPS. When activated, the system will send emergency crews to your location even if you’re unable to respond to an OnStar operator. It’s also good for seeing just how hard your vehicle pulls away from the line.

OnStar has already found its way into 90 million vehicles, and now an entirely new customer base will have access to that little blue button. Our advice to push that number far higher? Sell them at Wal-Mart. Feel free to read the full press release after the break.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading OnStar retail product gets new name, packaging and performance upgrade

OnStar retail product gets new name, packaging and performance upgrade

Navigon no longer makes hardware for sale in the U.S., but if you still pine for the days of the 2090S you bought from Radio Shack then they might have some software for you. The German company has released an app for Android phones (to go with its already released app for the iPhone) with a few features aimed at enhancing your journey.

Reality View Pro is meant to provide better intersection visuals, Traffic Live and red light and speed camera warnings assist with getting there quickly and without extra premiums. Google search keeps you in touch with the local action, and text-to-speech can read street names so you actually find that action.

Speaking of Google, though, since the Android OS is a Google property, most of those phones will come with Google Navigation free. If you’re looking reasons to spend $39.99 on the Navigon option, Reality View might do it – an augmented reality function that provides information overlays when you point your phone’s camera at a point of interest. The Navigon app also comes with the whole U.S. road map preloaded, so no waiting for a connection if you get thrown off course. Oh, and that $39.99 price is only for two weeks – after that it goes up to $59.99.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Navigon rolls out MobileNavigator for Android phones

Founded in 1995 and officially launched at that year’s Chicago Auto Show, OnStar has just hit its 15th birthday. After unlocking 4.7 million doors and providing over 59 million turn-by-turn routes, the tech centerpiece found in General Motors‘ vehicles is not ready to sit back and revel in the past. Ford is constantly improving its Sync system and The General is looking to move OnStar into the same league. The major details of it plans are not yet available but we recently learned that OnStar is testing two interesting new features; voice texting and the ability to update your Facebook status simply by speaking.

As OnStar moves into the future, let’s take a look at what it has accomplished over the last 15 years.

• More than one million responses to Emergency Service alerts, assisting drivers, first responders and local police departments in many life-threatening situations.
• More than 146,000 responses to Automatic Crash Notifications where OnStar sent emergency personnel to a vehicle whose driver was unresponsive after an airbag deployment.
• 198 different coastal communities helped with hurricane preparedness through OnStar’s Crisis Assist.
• More than 59 million Turn-by-Turn routes delivered. What was seen as a preliminary step against distracted driving, Turn-by-Turn Navigation allows an advisor to send directions directly to a subscriber’s Driver Information Center or radio.
• More than 4.7 million doors have been unlocked by OnStar’s Remote Door Unlock service. OnStar unlocks 1,833 doors every day, a huge convenience for people who accidently lock their keys in the car. (It happens.)
• More than 147 million monthly e-mails have been sent to subscribers since launch, giving them real-time diagnostic reports of their vehicles.

Besides just helping those in need, OnStar can also “help” those with greed – the type of greed that would lead them to steal a car. If a thief manages to swipe a vehicle equipped with GM’s big blue button, it can be slowed down remotely or, in other cases, OnStar can remotely block the ignition.

OnStar is a service that makes the lives of millions of customers a little easier, and we at Autoblog would like to wish it a happy birthday… as long as GM promises not to throw it a MTV-style Sweet Sixteen next year. Follow the jump to read more about OnStar in its official birthday press release.

[Source: OnStar]

Continue reading OnStar turns 15, has unlocked 4.7 million doors

OnStar turns 15, has unlocked 4.7 million doors

The first production copies of the 2011 Cruze are likely heading to a nearby Chevrolet dealer as you’re reading this, and that means that General Motors’ advertising blitz can’t be far behind. Actually, it starts after the jump. From where we sit, it appears that the Bowtie’s new C-segment sedan is ready to do war with the competition, and Chevy clearly has its eyes trained on the segment’s sales leader. The first 30-second spot with actor Tim Allen’s voiceover is aptly titled “Dear Corolla,” and it chides the Toyota mainstay for not offering as standard equipment keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation.

The second spot doesn’t aim directly at any one competitor, choosing instead to play off of the Cruze’s role as the new kid in the C-sized segment. Chevy’s ad gurus chose to pull out a pair of brief quotes made by auto news outlets that liken some of the Cruze’s best attributes to that of distinctly pricier competition, and we’re betting that at least one of those publications will sound familiar.

Both spots strike us as a bit paint-by-numbers marketing for such an important launch, though it’s good to see that GM isn’t shrinking away from one of its biggest competitors. Hit the jump to view both videos and judge for yourself. The Corolla commercial comes first, followed by the “New Kid” spot.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Video: Chevrolet Cruze ads ramp up

Video: Chevrolet Cruze ads ramp up

General Motors‘ OnStar unit has offered turn-by-turn directions for a while now, and the service seems to be gaining popularity among subscribers. In fact, July was a record month for direction seekers, with over 2 million routes requested in the U.S. and Canada. OnStar has access to more than 13 million points of interest, but one locale was requested more than any other. The General claims that nearly 40,000 OnStar subscribers sought out a local Wal-Mart in July, enough queries to make the value chain the most popular destination of July.

We’re not at all surprised that Wal-Mart came out on top this month considering the sheer size of America’s largest private employer, and the other top requests read like a who’s-who of big business. Big-time hotel chains and major retail outlets dominate the top 10 most requested routes (the top 10 destinations list is available after the jump), but only one fast food chain and zero gas stations cracked the top 10. Hit the jump to read GM’s press release.

[Source: GM Image: Photo by Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading OnStar Says: GM drivers love Wal-Mart

OnStar Says: GM drivers love Wal-Mart

Early this year, General Motors‘ OnStar telematics unit unveiled a smartphone application it had developed for the Chevrolet Volt that allows drivers to remotely manage the charging, locking and unlocking of their vehicle and pre-warm or cool it while plugged in. OnStar is now extending that basic concept to nearly the entire General Motors lineup for 2011.

One of the key hardware differences between OnStar and Ford’s Sync technology is that GM integrates cellular radios into the car while Ford relies on the driver’s existing phone connected via Bluetooth or a cable. This allows Ford to offer services like turn-by-turn directions without charging a subscription fee. OnStar has long struggled to find a way to convince customers to continue paying the subscription after the initial complimentary period expires.

The integrated cellular radio allows OnStar to offer services like remote starting, car location and lock/unlock from anywhere that can’t be done with Sync or just a short-range key fob. The applications will also provide access to vehicle data like tire pressures and oil levels, and allow owners to call an OnStar adviser or schedule service appointments with a dealer. The applications will be available for Androids and iPhones. You can check out a video after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading OnStar expands smartphone control to most 2011 General Motors vehicles [w/Video]

OnStar expands smartphone control to most 2011 General Motors vehicles [w/Video]

There may come a day when personal GPS devices go the way of the dodo. As direction services on our handheld devices become ever savvier, more and more consumers are ditching their old dashboard-mounted screens in favor of the ones they already keep in their pocket. Fortunately, even if our Garmin or TomTom devices become relics, odds are we’ll still be able to get turn-by-turn directions on our smartphones. That’s a good thing, too, because otherwise a whole generation of lost motorists would never be able to find their way while listening to Karen Jacobsen call out directions.

Who is Karen Jacobsen? While she happens to be a Queensland native who now spends her days writing music and playing in a three piece band, she’s also the most popular GPS voice on the planet. Jacobsen spent a total of 50 hours in a recording studio rattling off everything from directional phrases to single words, locations and every letter in the alphabet so that we would have the pleasure of listening to her Aussie accent as we bumble down the highway. Hit the jump to see an interview with the muse of maps as well as a sample of her singing.

[Sources: AOL News, KarenJacobsen.com]

Continue reading Video PSA: The Aussie female guide voice on your Garmin is as attractive as you’ve always hoped

Video PSA: The Aussie female guide voice on your Garmin is as attractive as you’ve always hoped

What’s that they say about finding a niche? Expresso has done just that with its AG1 Navigation unit, which delivers all the info you could want for “the freeway, family entertainment and the fairway.” It’s the first GPS and golf “handheld” that’s also a portable media player. That’s a lotta action, luckily it comes with its own video tutorials to show you the way to navigate the device itself.

Developed in cahoots with NAVIGON and iGolf, the AG1 offers turn-by-turn and text-to-speech directions, lane assist, a movie and music player, info on more than 20,000 golf courses via iGolf, with shot distance measurements and hazard details all on an HD screen, stereo speakers, dual-SD card slots and 50-state approval. It also boasts battery life lengthy enough to watch a movie on a flight from New York to LA and still get you guided to your hotel. We’d say “But wait, there’s more!”, but you can read that in the press release and accompanying video after the jump.

[Source: Expresso]

Continue reading New Expresso handheld GPS can guide you to the store… or out of the sand trap [w/video]

New Expresso handheld GPS can guide you to the store… or out of the sand trap [w/video]

Navigation has come a long way since Mapquest first hit the scene. Few of us are bumbling around our nation’s highways with print-out directions anymore thanks to the wide availability of manufacturer and aftermarket nav systems. Even most phones have some sort of turn-by-turn directions on them, but even the best systems have a hard time keeping track of up to minute variations in traffic conditions. Which is why our curiosity has been peaked by the Waze app.

The concept is pretty simple. Users drive around with the app open on their phone and the program samples GPS data to determine whether traffic is moving at speed or at a standstill. From there, you can report accidents, speed traps or road work to keep those around you from winding up in the same mess. Meanwhile, you can check the status of traffic on alternate roads around you thanks to the same technology.

Waze is also on the verge of rolling out a handful of new features that should improve the experience, including Twitter and Facebook integration. Instead of just sampling other Waze users, the program will cull through tweets from all over the globe. If someone happens to take the time to shoot off a tweet that says traffic on Mullholland sucks, you’ll get a notification if you’re headed in that direction. We’ve yet to get a chance to play with the app in traffic, but it sounds handy. For more info, check out the Waze guided tour.

[Source: Waze]

Waze app may be the way of the navigation future

There are currently 19 million Sirius XM subscribers out there, and the vast majority of those cash-paying customers listen only in the car. Ford was among the earliest mass-market adopters of Sirius, as The Blue Oval made infotainment a big part of its vehicle strategy. But while Ford was an early passenger on the satellite bandwagon, another very popular technology could put the squeeze on pay-for-play radio.

The Motley Fool opines that advances to Sync could hurt Sirius in a very meaningful way. Sync already connects to your MP3 player and your smart phone, but Microsoft and Ford have been working with third parties like Pandora to bring free content through the iPhone, RIM or Android data plan you’re already paying for. Beyond Internet radio, Sync also provides turn-by-turn navigation, traffic and weather, emergency assistance and Google Maps.

In the end, though, The Fool is quick to remind us that Ford gets a cut from every Sirius XM subscription. That means the automaker likely will stop short of toppling over the satellite provider. Besides, Sirius subscriptions have done nothing but climb since Sync hit the market three years ago.

[Source: The Motley Fool]

Will Ford’s Sync kill Sirius XM?

Google, a company so large that it’s become both a noun and a verb, is spreading the goodness of its Google Maps programming even further into the automotive realm with the announcement that it’s now being incorporated into General Motors’ OnStar eNav technology.

Perhaps you’ll recall that Ford made a remarkably similar move this morning, adding the ability to sync Google Maps to its well regarded Sync system. The major difference between Ford’s Sync and GM’s OnStar integration of Google Maps is that the Blue Oval’s implementation relies on the connectivity of your cellular phone while The General’s technology includes its own communications equipment.

Both Ford’s and GM’s Google Maps integration will go into full effect later this month. All GM vehicles from the 2006 model year forward that are equipped with Turn-by-Turn Navigation capability will gain the newfound capabilities. Get all the details in the press release after the break.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Google plays the field, adds Maps to OnStar

Google plays the field, adds Maps to OnStar

Drivers of late-model Ford vehicles equipped with Sync Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI) will soon be able to plot out their routes using Google Maps on their home computer and then download turn-by-turn directions directly to the car. TDI is a recent addition that adds a GPS receiver which allows Sync equipped cars and trucks to provide directions even if the vehicle doesn’t have the full map based navigation system in place.

Unlike General Motors‘ OnStar system, which incorporates its own cellular equipment, the TDI functionality uses the communications capability provided by a connected mobile phone linked up by the driver. TDI reaches out to download directional data from the internet through the phone. The route will be calculated online using up-to-date traffic information.

To use the “Send to Sync” feature, Ford and Lincoln owners just need to register on syncmyride.com for the free TDI services. The ability to send Google directions to Sync TDI will be launched later this month with a similar service based on Mapquest launching later this year. Official PR verbiage available after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford adds ability to sync Google maps directions to Sync

Ford adds ability to sync Google maps directions to Sync

With an increasing number of new cell phones offering free, integrated turn-by-turn navigation, the days of the standalone navigation device must surely be numbered. Of course, those dedicated navigators still offer some features you can’t (yet) get elsewhere, such as the Darth Vader or Dennis Hopper voices for TomTom and downloadable vehicles for the Garmin Nuvi.

Garmin users can replace the regular old arrow that shows your direction with dozens of vehicles ranging from classics like the BMW Isetta, to space shuttles, to Bumblebee, as seen above. Does it improve the functionality of your Nuvi in any way? Of course not, but it can make the little screen more fun to look at. The Nuvi vehicle downloads are free from a non-Garmin-affiliated third party, while most of the TomTom voices cost extra. Will this sort of thing have us trading in our Droid? Not a chance.

[Source: Vehicles for Garmin Nuvi]

Vehicle downloads for Garmin Nuvi (sorta) make us want one

Skobbler has introduced a completely free, turn-by-turn navigation app for the iPhone, with one new and unusual detail: you help play the role of cartographer. Sort of like Linux for thoroughfares, you download the Skobbler app and then use CloudMade, a community-sourced mapping to add “hyperlocal” detail to the map, which Skrobbler then updates on its servers. The more information gets added by community mappers, the more detailed and up-to-date the instructions are available to the nav-app’s users, with updates pushed to the program in real-time. We’re unsure of how granular the details are in the current CloudMade maps, but the app is free and this could be your chance to be a pioneer.

[Source: Mac Daily News]

Skobbler first totally free turn-by-turn navigation app for iPhone

It’s time to do your homework, kids. The blokes at Top Gear have built a virtual representation of the Stig’s personal playground. If you’ve got some time to kill, head on over to the site for a turn-by-turn breakdown of the UK show’s test track, including the elusive history of each corner’s name. The virtual track will even let you in on which gear you should be in for each section should you ever find yourself as a star in a reasonably priced car.

Even if you don’t see your acting career thrusting you the public consciousness anytime soon, there’s still a chance you’ll be able to have your way with the track. A rumor dusted up last month that claimed Polyphony Digital now holds the rights to test ground’s in-game representation, which means that should Gran Turismo 5 ever decide to drop into stores, the PlayStation universe will be breathing down the Stig’s neck.

TG’s virtual track also features a couple of other neat tricks, including a “Stig’s Eye View” that allows you see what the perfect line should look like. You can even pick whether you want to view the track through the windshield of an econobox or a genuine supercar.

[Source: Top Gear]

Stig gives a lesson on the Top Gear test track

Back in January, General Motors announced that OnStar would release a smartphone app to be used in conjunction with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The app allows owners to keep track of charge status, remotely lock and unlock the vehicle, along with providing diagnostic reports and a host of other features.

Last week, reports surfaced that Google and GM were in talks about implementing the search giant’s Android mobile operating system into its vehicles, and while that may still come to fruition, GM’s announcement tonight is far less dramatic.

The app that GM demonstrated on Android-powered headsets earlier this year will now be available with a “navigation” tab that ingrates with OnStar to provide turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions, along with vehicle location (think: finding your Volt in a parking lot) and allowing users to perform voice searches through their Droid, Incredible or other Android smartphone.

While tapping Google’s massive location-aware search is an important inclusion, it’s less than revolutionary, particularly when Audi is already beginning to include Google Earth navigation in the 2011 A8. Furthermore, GM says that the new functionality won’t be available on the Volt app at launch, but will be rolled out in the 2.0 version of the software. So if you’re keeping track, we’re talking about a yet-to-be-released feature for a yet-to-be-released car. Make the jump for the full details.

Continue reading OnStar taps Google Maps for Chevy Volt navigation

OnStar taps Google Maps for Chevy Volt navigation

We really haven’t heard too much from Bing since Microsoft cooled the jets on its advertising assault. We had thought that the supposed Google-killer had been sentenced to the same search engine purgatory as the likes of Ask Jeeves, but it turns out the big M has been busily sharpening the teeth on its Bing app. The company has just added turn-by-turn navigation to the recipe, and from what we can tell, it looks just as capable of getting you where you’re going as any of the windshield-mounted hardware out there.

Pocket Now has posted a video of the app in action. It has no problem handling voice commands and the robo voice is easy to understand. You can even tap on the screen in order to have the app repeat a portion of the directions. The best part? It’s absolutely free. Hit the jump to see for yourself.

[Source: Pocket Now via Engadget]

Continue reading Microsoft adds turn-by-turn navigation to Bing mobile app

Microsoft adds turn-by-turn navigation to Bing mobile app