New Navigation F-Class Multimedia Systems From Panasonic

Click to ZoomIt stands to reason that if you've got enough money to buy a luxury car, you might as well plow lots of nice features into it. Or maybe you're one of those drivers who likes high-end accessories in a car but who's all about the Benjamins on the crucial issue of vehicle sticker price. The new navigation F-Class multimedia systems from Panasonic should be able to satisfy people in both groups, and a few other groups as well.

We can start with the 7-inch screen, which is large enough to actually see the maps that you're looking at. No more squinting at the VGA, especially because it's a touchscreen. The online-capable route mapping is a handy feature as well.


There's the CD and DVD functionality, along with an iPod adapter and a built-in TV tuner. That combination should satisfy most of your multimedia needs. A Bluetooth add-on is available.

With all of that going for it, the F-Class may very well look like a good buy. It is if you have a few thousand dollars to spare. The top-of-the-line model weighs in at US$2,949, and that's only a hundred of so dollars more than the bottom-of-the-line model.

We have no idea when these systems are coming to Western markets. They're launching in Japan. Perhaps the price will go down when they travel across the Pacific.




Written by Gina Cavallaro
Published in Navigation