Ford now looks at the latest trend for auto manufacturers of putting navigation system on mainstream cars even as an option.
Among the six Ford 2006 Ford Motor vehicles to offer navigation systems are the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr and Mercury Mountaineer while the other four nameplates are said to be the Ford Explorer and Explorer Sport Trac SUVs, Five Hundred sedan and Freestyle sport wagon.
The idea of popularizing car navigation system on mass produced Ford cars is an attractive feature for most car enthusiasts. Common only in the luxury segment such as the Lincoln Navigator, on which the option costs around $3,000 on the 4x4 Ultimate editions, the car navigation system will soon be more affordable as foreseen by Ford.
This is an aggressive step by Ford to be competitive and sway the family sedan market into its turf. Mainstream vehicles will soon find car navigation system on its option list as hand held global positioning phones and the concept of beaming satellite map data into the vehicles are also being considered by auto makers.
Popularizing car navigation system will better enhance the features of mass produced Ford vehicles and make it more affordable.
