OnStar Tweaks Rear-View Mirror Product
The Detroit-based OnStar business unit of General Motors Corp. is tweaking the OnStar-equipped automotive rear-view mirror it introduced at January's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The device will be called OnStar FMV -- an acronym of For My Vehicle -- and will include an external microphone for better voice quality, comparable to other Bluetooth speakerphones and OnStar systems integrated into new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles.
OnStar FMV will go on sale this summer for a suggested retail price of $299.
OnStar FMV will offer the same core features as OnStar systems included in GM vehicles.
Automatic Crash Response, triggered by an accelerometer in the OnStar FMV mirror, connects the vehicle to a trained OnStar emergency advisor in the event of a crash. The advisor can provide the exact location of the crash to emergency responders using the mirror's GPS location, even if the vehicle's occupants are unable to respond.
Turn-by-Turn navigation, OnStar's most-popular service, is accessible with a press of OnStar's blue button. The driver asks the advisor for directions for a specific address or location, such as a gas station or restaurant. Directions are downloaded to OnStar FMV, which provides spoken turn-by-turn instructions to the destination.
Security services include Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance, which also uses OnStar FMV's global positioning satellite location. Roadside assistance is a blue button push away. A red button is for emergency assistance or situations such as witnessing a collision or a crime in progress.
OnStar FMV provides two choices for hands-free calling: through the OnStar service itself, or through a Bluetooth connection to a mobile phone. The external microphone, which tucks into the roofline or above the overhead console, gives the best-possible voice quality – while the driver keeps hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. The external microphone replaces an embedded microphone in the original design.
The roster of vehicle makes and models compatible with OnStar FMV continues to grow. OnStar has now validated 90 million vehicles manufactured in the last 10 years as compatible with OnStar FMV -- up from 55 million when the product was announced at CES.
"OnStar FMV meets the same rigorous standards for safety, reliability and performance we've developed in 15 years of producing and perfecting OnStar for GM vehicles," said Greg Ross, vice president of business extensions at OnStar. "Drivers of Fords, Toyotas and other vehicles now have the unique 'blue button' OnStar experience that brings together the best of technology with the best of person-to-person customer service."
OnStar is continuing to actively recruit retailers to carry OnStar FMV. Installation, which consists of replacing the existing rearview mirror with the OnStar FMV, is expected to take less than an hour and cost less than $100. A range of service plans will be available for OnStar FMV, starting at $18.95 a month or $199 a year.
For more information on OnStar FMV, visit www.onstar.com.