As smartphones continue to eat up dedicated GPS market share, Navman is launching the MY Escape aimed at large vehicle touring, 4WD and the light commercial vehicle market.
The Navman MY Escape is a 'ruggedised' 5in GPS that boasts a dust and vibration-proof case. It has been specifically designed for campervans, trucks that weigh nine tonnes and under, 4WDs and vehicles towing caravans or boats.
In addition to the aforementioned dust and vibration-proofing, the Navman MY Escape comes with software that can find routes specifically suitable for larger vehicles.
This is achieved by your inputting your vehicle’s weight, height, width and length into the GPS. The MY Escape will then issue alerts specific to your vehicle, including narrow roads, weight restrictions and low ceilings (such as a bridge or tunnel).
Navman's MY Escape comes pre-loaded with 8,000 off-road points of interest.
“There are many extra things you have to think about when you drive a larger vehicle, such as if there are low tunnels, corners that you may not make it around, narrow streets or roads with weight restrictions on your route," explains marketing director of Navman Technology Wendy Hammond.
"We’ve all seen YouTube videos of trucks stuck under bridges or cars towing caravans being stuck in a narrow street. ...With the new large vehicle assist feature on the MY Escape, this need never happen to you.”
The MY Escape also comes with Lonely Planet Travel Guides and 25 Lonely Planet Scenic Routes pre-loaded onto the device. In addition, Navteq Off Road HEMA maps (complete with 8,000 points of interest) are included for adventurous 4WDers.
The unit's safety alerts have also been given an overhaul, with attention paid to long distance driving. Lane merges, steep inclines/declines, high wind areas, driver fatigue warnings, unexpected sharp turns and overtaking lanes are some of the 40-odd safety alerts featured on the new device.
Another new feature is Roadside Assist, which tells you exactly where you are so you can phone for assistance. It even stores the phone number of your roadside assistance provider, which you can call if your device is connected to your phone via Bluetooth.
To compliment the MY Escape GPS, Navman will also release a Rear Reversing Camera kit (sold seperately), which provides drivers with a 170 degree view of the road behind their boat or caravan.
While marketed towards "grey-haired nomads" (as Navman's PR put it), the MY Escape is also suitable for everyday drivers. The unit comes with free lifetime SUNA traffic subscription, along with the usual suite of GPS goodies (free live traffic updates, inbuilt Bluetooth, spoken speed-limit reminders, school zone alerts and other features). We expect to have a review unit in the coming weeks.
The Navman My Escape is due to hit stores in October for an RRP of $599. The price includes 24 months of free map updates.
