BMW points NZ in the right direction

By PAUL BRISLEN

I no longer need to take my wife with me when I go driving. Sorry about that, dear, but I've got a new woman in my life.

I don't know her name but she doesn't get exasperated when I turn right instead of left or when I miss the exit on the motorway.

In fact, she can warn me that the exit is coming up, and do so in plenty of time to get across the intervening lanes.

BMW is introducing GPS-based navigation in a number of its new cars that should make getting about in a strange city child's play.

The German marque has been working with local developer GeoSmart to build the local maps and when the service launches this year BMW will offer full navigation within the North Island.

It hopes to have the whole country covered by the middle of next year.

But New Zealand is many years behind the rest of the world - in-car navigation has been available in Britain and Europe since 1997 and longer still in Japan.

National marketing manager Mark McCutcheon said BMW had been working on the project for more than a year.

"Initially we talked to the other car companies as well but that fell apart, so we decided to proceed on our own with GeoSmart."

Formerly known as Air Logistics, GeoSmart has been conducting aerial mapping of New Zealand since 1977 and has worked with BMW to produce the maps used by the system.

BMW has worked internationally with Siemens on similar systems overseas and is using Siemens hardware in the new cars.

"It's integrated into the dashboard at the factory.

"We didn't want users having to battle with an extra remote control or any of the other problems of after-market add-ons."

McCutcheon said GeoSmart would retain ownership of the software and mapping solution and is looking to sell the solution to the rest of the market.

"They're looking at camper vans, car rental companies, that kind of thing."

Initially the system will be available in the newly launched four-wheel drive X3, the 545i and all of the Six and Seven series.

Other new BMWs can have the system installed on request. The unit costs between $4000 and $7000, depending on specifications, and the initial CD map will cost $750.

Future map updates will be available at $250, although McCutcheon hopes to see the price eventually built into the new car's retail price.

The service is being beta-tested in a 5km radius around BMW's South Auckland headquarters and is remarkably easy to use.

After selecting the destination address, a large arrow points the way as a cool, calm, British female voice directs the action.

Users can choose whether to have an accompanying map, can zoom in and out and even select a different route if they want.

Deliberately ignoring the suggested direction doesn't seem to upset the system either, which politely asks the driver to turn around when it's safe to do so.