Coinciding with the introduction of the 2004 Chrysler Pacifica navigation system this past spring, the RB1 Navigation Radio is among a family of Chrysler Group navigation offerings to make its debut as both a Mopar® dealer-installed option and as a factory-installed option on select Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles. The RB1 Navigation Radio is offered as a Mopar dealer-installed option on the following Chrysler Group 2004 model year vehicles:
Chrysler - PT Cruiser, 300M, Concorde, Sebring Sedan, Sebring Convertible, Pacifica, Town & Country
Dodge - SRT-4, Stratus Sedan, Intrepid, Caravan, Grand Caravan, Dakota, Ram, Viper
Jeep - Liberty, Grand Cherokee The system is available as a factory-installed option on the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300M. Factory-installation cost varies from $1,200 - $1,595 based on equipment package and content. Pricing for the dealer-installed version of the RB1 Navigation Radio is $1,595 (suggested retail price) plus labor. "Whether you're planning a vacation route, looking for a restaurant to have dinner, or searching for the nearest ATM machine to pay for the dinner, the RB1 Navigation Radio is intuitive and easy to use," said Jack Withrow, director, Vehicle Entertainment and Communications for the Chrysler Group. "With the use of global positioning satellites, the system effectively calculates the quickest and most accurate route. It also immediately redirects the vehicle should you veer off your path -- you may never have to stop and ask for directions again." The RB1 Navigation Radio system is housed in the center of the vehicle dashboard, which allows for easy access for both the driver and passenger, according to the company. The 4.2-inch full-color display features AM/FM stereo, CD player and navigation system in one unit. Utilizing voice commands, the system guides the user through the drive route, mile by mile, turn-by-turn until the final destination is reached. Destinations can be entered into the system eight different ways and the screen can be viewed as a detailed map or enlarged to be viewed turn-by-turn. When coupled with Sirius Satellite Radio, the stream listing, stream category, song title, and artist can be viewed on the system's display screen. Chrysler Group selected Alpine Electronics, a supplier of mobile electronics systems, to provide the navigation unit, GPS antenna, and map database information. The map database information is housed on a single DVD-ROM based on NAVTECH data. This single DVD solution contains mapping, points of interest and business phone numbers across the U.S. (where digitized mapping data and information are available). The single DVD solution eliminates the need to handle and store multiple discs required in CD-based solutions. In addition, route calculations can be made quickly with Alpine's proprietary software algorithms which provide routing information within 10 seconds. The navigation system receives its GPS or global positioning system signals, from up to eight satellites to display the position and direction of the vehicle. A gyroscope and the vehicle's speed sensor enable the system to display the present vehicle position even in locations where a GPS signal may not be available. When a destination is entered, the navigation system uses data from the DVD to calculate a route.