I just had the chance to try out the 2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara which now comes standard in all trim levels with a built-in Garmin navigation device, making it the least expensive SUV equipped with navigation. The unit looks very similar to my Nuvi 760. I'm a big fan of the Garmin Nuvi series for its ease of operation, clear graphics and general user-friendliness. So I was inclined to appreciate Suzuki's approach of providing a built-in docking station for the Nuvi (it folds down into the top center of the dash when not in use), and providing some rudimentary integration (a Suzuki logo appears onscreen when you power up and voice prompts interrupt the vehicle's sound system). The Grand Vitara's base price increased by just $500, which primarily covers the nav, splitting the difference between the lower-end aftermarket, sucker-on-the-windshield, cords-a-danglin' Nuvis and the $1200-$2000 custom in-dash units most other manufacturers offer.
Other bonus features: The SD card slot makes database-updating a snap and allows most of the same photo/music playback functionality as found on my Nuvi. It can be detached for on-foot navigation or to connect to your laptop for direct internet-based system and map database updates. The unit comes pre-loaded with American, Brit, and Aussie male or female voices, and presumably one could download Homer Simpson's voice and others offered by Garmin for ultimate personalization. Oddly, although Garmin offers a number of vehicle icons for download, the one adorning this mini-offroader's screen looked like a pink sportscar.
A number of features seem to have been upgraded since my 760 was minted, including speed-limit information for more than just major state and interstate highways (it's displayed as a speed-limit sign located very near the readout of your current GPS-determined speed, which itself is a useful double-check of the car's speedometer reading, especially if you've mounted taller off-road tires). More detailed graphic depictions of intersections and off-ramps including signage helps remove some of the guesswork with tricky directions. Arrival time (or remaining driving duration of a trip), the direction of north, and the map scale are also shown on screen.
But the green-geek in me really delighted at a new Eco Route feature. Enable it, and the system begins monitoring your rate of acceleration and braking, as well as your speed, and grades your eco-driving performance. A leaf changes color from red to yellow to green depending on your driving style at the moment, and then a screen indicates your scores for acceleration, deceleration, speed, and an overall composite score at the end of the trip. The system is pretty stingy with A-grades, even for hypermilers, unless the journey's speed remains low (it doesn't seem to pass moral judgment on your velocity relative to the posted limit, it just wants you to go 40-45 mph for optimal aerodynamic drag to get a good grade). One of my best runs was an early-morning ride to the airport. Because there was nobody on the road to impede, I kept my speeds below the limit and drove with imaginary eggs on the pedals and still ended up with an 84. Harumph.
The system is not perfect. It inexplicably zooms in and out at random, giving you the 10,000-foot view when you're just rolling along, then swoops in for a close-up when direction changes are coming up. I'd generally rather set a level of zoom and have the system stay there--or at least zoom back to there after the intersection close-up. I also was unable to shut off voice commands using only my wits and my experience with the 760, but I confess to not having opened the manual.
In any case, I believe the future of in-car electronics is open architecture that can be upgraded as the years roll by. Ford's Sync telematics platform is heading in that direction as are others. Suzuki's removable nav is another great step in that direction.