Sept/Oct 2003

Our impression

Call it ironic, Murphy's Law or just plain bad luck, but en route to Siemens VDO to evaluate their latest satellite navigation system, I found myself in one of the those enormous traffic jams that seem to have become a regular occurrence on the UK's road network. The navigation specialist's offices are just half a mile from junction 6 (Spaghetti Junction) of the M6 in Birmingham. At junction 2, with just 20 miles to my destination, roadworks and an accident combined to delay me by over two hours.

Why didn't I take a detour? Well, at junction 2 the only indication of trouble was a motorway sign warning of queues ahead. When you're that close to your intended exit, is a detour worth it? It might take a little longer to reach junction 6, I reasoned, but that would also be true if tried to negotiate Birmingham's busy and unfamiliar A- and B-roads. I elected to stay on the M6 ­ a decision I soon came to regret as I slowed to a complete standstill for almost an hour just past junction 3. Sound familiar?

If my car had been equipped with a VDO Dayton satnav unit and Traffic Message Channel receiver, however, I might have been more adventurous. Not only would it have recalculated a new route to my destination and given me turn-by-turn directions, but the integrated traffic information channel would also have given me much more precise information about the congestion ahead, which I could then have avoided.

The satnav unit I tried combined a satellite navigation system with full-colour screen and traffic information receiver. The main unit is self-contained and comprises a GPS modem and gyroscope, and has an input for an electronic pulse from the speedometer. Data from these is used to calculate the route and vehicle speed.

All the map data is contained in an on-board DVD or compact disk set, so the driver doesn't have to rely on a communications link to download map data. The unit is modular, so can accept a range of options including a rear-view camera, TV tuner and the 5400 itself. (If you think TV tuners are in the luxury car bracket, Siemens VDO points out that some employers, including ambulance authorities, believe they help workers stay alert while waiting in their vehicle to attend the next call-out.)

How easy is the 5400 to use? Well, for a start it has a large 5.8in landscape-style colour LCD screen ­ more than twice the size of the average PDA, and enormous compared with a DIN radio display. If that's not enough, there is also a 7in version, which might be attractive if you want to use it as a TV tuner or for Internet browsing. The speaker, for communications and turn-by-turn voice instructions, is integrated into the unit.

In navigation mode, the screen is split into two halves, with map details on the left and turn-by-turn or other information on the right. The larger screens mean maps and instructions can be displayed in large formats, so a quick glance at the screen will usually suffice. Of course, we're talking fractions of a second, but it does help build driver confidence.

Navigating around the screen is done with an infra-red control. This, combined with the large screen, really makes the M5400 especially easy to use. There is no need to peer at the screen or reach forward to use press a button or use a stylus to navigate the screen; you simply press a button and point the remote.

The system uses Siemens VDO's latest new generation of processors, and it shows. There are none of those lulls you get on some digital maps as a new data set is uploaded on to the screen or as you switch between menus. The result is virtually real-time navigation with hardly a perceptible delay between a command being entered and the map being presented on the screen.

The graphics are equally impressive, using map data from Navigation Technologies and Tele Atlas and traffic information from ITIS. Any traffic problems on your route are shown on the map as triangular icons, with an indication of whether they are accidents, roadworks or simply slow-moving traffic. You get periodic voice reminders of congestion and an extra voice alert at the last possible exit before you encounter the congestion. Dynamic route planning will automatically suggest an alternate route, which you can ignore or accept by pressing button.

Our unit was equipped with Siemens VDO's latest C-IQ system (see our navigation feature on page 14 for more details). The idea is that instead of buying the CD map set they need, customers get a complete set of encrypted European maps, and then pay on a per-use basis with an access code. You can pay for specific dates or countries.

Our verdict

It doesn't take too many incidents like my M6 experience to appreciate how employees who spend a lot of time on the road can become quickly converted not just to navigation aids, but congestion-busting tools as well. It's all about empowering the driver to make decision based on the best available information.

I want one now.