Music lovers will find it easier to take their favorite tunes on the road thanks to a new family of radios that will debut on the Chevy HHR and other GM vehicles starting later this year. The new radios include an auxiliary channel and front mounted auxiliary input jack, so that an iPod or other audio source can be easily plugged in and played through the vehicle audio system.
“The Chevy HHR will help launch a new family of radios that will bring iPod connectivity to a broad range of GM vehicles,” said Paul Nadeau, director, infotainment displays and controls, for GM Engineering in the press release. “We think the ability to easily connect an iPod or other audio source directly into the vehicle audio system will be a big hit with customers.”
Radios featuring the new auxiliary input jack will debut starting in late spring. They will be standard equipment on 2006 models of the Chevy HHR, Impala and Monte Carlo; Saturn VUE and ION; Pontiac Solstice; Buick Lucerne; and Cadillac DTS. The radios will be fitted to other new GM models over the next several years.
Auxiliary audio inputs in the console of GM vehicles equipped with DVD players also allow an iPod or other source to be played through the vehicle sound system using a simple adapter cord.
“General Motors has a long tradition of leading with technology that provides real benefits to our customers,” said Mark LaNeve, GM North America vice president, sales, service and marketing in the press release. “We are excited to be part of the iPod revolution by offering our customers an easy way to play their favorite music in their GM cars and trucks.”
Great, now if GM could do something about the reliability issues, and the downward trend in sales, perhaps they could stop the freefall the stock is experiencing…
I just traded in my Blazer for a 2005 Honda Accord EX.
Huge reliabilty factor, and a lot better in gas.
rogozhin,
you are a spin merchant. Keep to the subject of the article
I traded in my Chevy POC for a Nissan Maxima. No more looking back.
POC = Piece Of Crap
ohhhe baby – this is awesome!!!!
All other Car makers will have to add this to keep up!
Keyword is dead – as in – all my custom cds for my car are dead!
For everyone trashing GM here’s a different spin.
My friend purchased a 2001 Malibu and loved it so much he now has a Loaded Pontiac Montana both have been great cars without any problems.
I traded in my 2000 VW Golf – 4L Gas (already burning oil after 2 years) for a 2004 Pontiac Vibe. Best decision I ever made.
Yes I know that the Vibe is made as a joint venture with Toyota but it’s actually a CAMI vehicle (name of the jointly owned company of GM and Toyota). Other vehicles such as the Corolla and Equinox are also made by CAMI.
So don’t slam GM too hard they are learning and turning out great products you just have to be aware of what you’re buying.
I bought a Pontiac G6 a few months back, and it has been great. Styling, performace, gas milage are excellent. I’m almost glad I don’t see it in that list, or I’d feel like I bought it a little too soon!
Great news for Apple! Great news for iPod users! How can we go wrong with this? Glad to hear it.
–mAc
About time. My Honda element is iPod friendly already, and it’s a beautiful thing. Easy to use my iPod or XM receiver, no need for a cassette or RF adapter. Don’t know why all cars aren’t equipped this way already.
DC – me neither.. It can’t cost that mush to have an Aux jack in a stereo.. These things should be standard. Oh and I LOVE my element as well
In defence of GM – Just traded my ’97 Saturn SL2 for a Subaru Baja. Regretted the loss of fuel efficiency in doing so, but the Baja is a lot more versatile. I probably would have gotten another Saturn, but all their vehicles are just “mehhh…” now.
The Saturn had 160K miles on it and no major mechanical problems. Just worn out.
But on other fronts. Neat idea, but as noted on another site, why didn’t they do this earlier for portable CD players? (Well, that’s easy to answer – they wanted to sell you a premium stereo with CD until those all became standard….)
Uncle Rat,
No, I’m a shareholder of GM, who is disappointed that adding an auxillary input to GM’s car stereos is the only good news coming out of the engineering department today. They’re fiddling while Rome burns.
On topic? ANY discussion for this post that pertains to GM (since they are the actual source of the press release, NOT Apple) is germaine.
GM Engineering….. Now that is funny
GM…? Is that a big company? Most companies have already added support for the defacto standard DRM, WMA. Get with the program, you damn hippies…Windows has won the digital music game.
I have two iPods and would buy one with compatibility over one without. Its about damn time.
AND RENTAL COMPANIES BETTER HAVE IPOD READY CARS TOO!
I am so sick of not having an easy hook up for my iPOds !
CUT ME SOME SLACK CAR COMPANIES! THE MUSIC ON RADIO BLOWS!
CUT ME SOME SLACK CAR COMPANIES! THE MUSIC ON RADIO BLOWS!
—
Why doesn’t the iPod have FM Radio? People are obviously clamoring for it.
“””GM…? Is that a big company? Most companies have already added support for the defacto standard DRM, WMA. Get with the program, you damn hippies…Windows has won the digital music game.”””
The article did say iPod OR other audio input device. Meaning that this is not iPod specific any will work with any portable music player…
rogozhin: it’s “germane” as in relevant — not “Germaine” as in Greer… the feminist icon.
Why in God’s name don’t all car radios have this already? It’s gotta cost 5 cents to put a mini input jack on a car radio.
25 Years ago
1 Chevrolet
2 Ford
somewhere down the list-Toyota
10 Years ago
1 Ford
2 Chevrolet
somewhere down the list but climbing-Toyota
Today
1 Toyota
2 Ford
3 Chevrolet
The best selling car in the US is the Camry and GM doesn’t make a car that can touch it as a family sedan at any price. Number 2 is the Honda Accord with the Nissan Altima coming up fast. The new Ford 500, essentially a “skinned” Volvo S80, is very good if the quality holds up.
GM is the Micro$oftopoly of the pre-tech era. Sad, but true.
I’m still driving a 94 Chevy Caprice, turning 260hp and 330lb/ft torque. Oh, sure, I get 14mpg, but who cares? I can fit any aftermarket stereo in it, after some modifications, and the thing is HUGE! The only thing on the road that intimidates me are semis, and that’s only because they’re so much bigger. I’ll take my land yacht over a compact ricer any day, thank you very much.
Team CNET,
we bought iPods so we wouldn’t have to listen to that &*%$# they play on FM Radio. Duh!
rogozhin: it’s “germane” as in relevant — not “Germaine” as in Greer… the feminist icon.
I had a feminist icon on my desktop once, but that’s another story.
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I’d like to thank everyone for the concise history of automobile manufacturing quality in America.
As for the story at hand, I agree with hairbo: It’s just a jack? Meaning a headphone-style input plug, right? Man, that’s some awesome engineeering.
Does anyone have a system for placing your iPod into a dashboard-mounted dock and being able to 1) see the song/playlist information on your car radio readout and 2) controlling play functions and volume from the buttons on the radio or steering wheel? This seems to be like the holy grail. It can’t be that hard for someone to make a Roku SoundBridge for the car — or can it…?
This is good stuff. My idiot cousin will be happy that it will also work with his Dell DJ. Now if he can only get his DJ working again.