Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and Chrysler LLC have extended their relationship through September 2017.

Sirius is currently available in most Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge models. This agreement targets a factory-installed penetration rate of more than 70% of Chrysler vehicles.

"Sirius is proud to extend our exclusive relationship with Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge," said Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin. "Chrysler will be selling millions of vehicles with Sirius and we look forward to a very significant number of Chrysler customers becoming part of our already very satisfied Sirius family of more than 8.3 million subscribers."

It looks like a touchscreen display, similar to the one we saw at CES this year, will be rolling out to the general public as part of the new 2009 Hyundai Sonata.

The brand-new high-resolution touch-screen display was (you guessed it) unveiled today at the Chicago Auto Show in the 2009 Hyundai Sonata.

It will feature sophisticated graphics - which XM says will make it "easy to glance at the XM channel name" - as well as the song title, artist name, and category to select music, sports, talk, news, comedy or traffic and weather.

I love this approach personally. The better the consumers' experience, the more likely you are to convert them to a full-time subscriber. That's just pure Marketing 101 right there. When someone buys a new car, they're looking to be "WOW'd" by that vehicle, and a slick touchscreen interface will do just that. It encourages folks to interact with the service. And, as we all know, the more you experience satellite radio, the more you love it.

This sort of interface (finally) makes XM less like "radio" and more like "entertainment" - and that's something we desperately need.

Isuzu has officially decided it is abandoning the North American market, and discontinuing sales of its i-Series pickup and Ascender SUV.

Isuzu has an exclusive installation deal with XM Satellite Radio. The status of their partnership is unknown, but it's a pretty good assumption that it's a done deal.

Not that it mattered much anyway.

While Isuzu's sales topped out to 100,000 units in 1999, led largely by the popular Isuzu Trooper, sales have plummeted to dismal levels since. In 2007, the automaker sold a mere 7,906 units, and that's down from 15,751 units in 2006.

And with sales numbers like that, you surely can't blame them for bailing out.

[AutoBlog]

Mercedes-Benz will offer Sirius Canada as standard equipment on many of its vehicles available in Canada.

Sirius Satellite Radio will be offered as standard equipment on all Mercedes-Benz E-Class, S-Class, CL-Class, CLS-Class, SL-Class, ML-Class, R-Class and GL-Class vehicles along with the all new 2008 C350 and C350 4MATIC models. All Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles will feature Sirius as factory standard equipment as well.

In addition, Sirius will be available as a factory installed option on all Mercedes-Benz B-Class, C-Class, CLK-Class and SLK-Class models.

Sirius-equipped Mercedes-Benz vehicles will include a complimentary 6-month Sirius subscription.

Sirius Canada will also be standard equipment on all Maybach vehicles and will feature a lifetime Sirius subscription.

The all-new 2009 Kia Borrego midsize SUV, unveiled recently at NAIAS in Detroit, will be the first Kia vehicle to have Sirius Satellite Radio as factory standard equipment. Set to go on sale this summer as a 2009 model, the Borrego also houses Kia's first-ever V8 engine, making it the most powerful Kia vehicle to date.

Sirius and Kia announced a partnership 20-months ago that runs through 2014. There's also an optional extension to 2017.

Alongside Sirius, the Borrego also comes standard with USB/iPod capabilities powered by a 600- watt Infinity audio system. Each Borrego will come with three months of free Sirius service.

Sirius is scheduled to become a standard feature in all 2009 model year Kia vehicles.

General Motors yesterday unveiled the CTS-V, the high performance version of the redesigned CTS sedan, at the North American International Auto Show. The CTS-V delivers 550 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque from the supercharged 6.2L V8, and will be available in a six-speed manual, or (for the first time) a six-speed automatic transmission. It will have the strongest engine in Cadillac's history.

The 2009 Cadillac CTS-V will also come standard, factory-equipped with XM Satellite Radio and with XM NavTraffic on navigation-equipped vehicles.

The CTS-V will not be a high-volume seller, but it's not supposed to be. It's meant to cement Cadillac's image as a high-performing luxury line.

Pictured above is GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz as he unveils the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V at NAIAS 2008. Check out AutoBlog for more live shots of the CTS-V unveiling.

Ford Motor Company's new 2009 F-150 truck not only has added the updated Ford SYNC (complete with "911 Assist" and Vehicle Health Reports), but also has added on the new Sirius Travel Link system.

Sirius Travel Link was previously only known to be included on the 2009 Lincoln MKS.

The beauty is that by combining Ford SYNC with Sirius Travel Link, now many of Sirius' functions are accessible through Microsoft's voice-recognition software. So real-time traffic, coast-to-coast weather conditions and fuel price information from over 120,000 gas stations - as well as Sirius Satellite Radio itself - are all now voice-activated on the 2009 Ford F-150.

You can see Orbitcast's own hands-on photos with Sirius Travel Link, or check out CNET's photos with the Travel Link system in the F-150 here.

[via Engadget]

Ford SYNC is continuing to expand its feature-list, as well as its penetration rate, adding a new "911 Assist" functionality and regular Vehicle Health Reports later this year.

At CES, Bill Gates announced that Ford will expand SYNC to nearly all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles by the end of the year. Currently, it's only available on 12 models.

But that's not really the big news. The big news is that Ford SYNC is getting a massive update later this year to include "911 Assist" functionality. All the new models, as well as current SYNC-enabled models on the road, will get this expanded functionality (since the SYNC system can download software updates).

This new "911 Assist" feature makes SYNC compete not only with satellite radio, but also with other telematics systems like GM's OnStar. The big difference being: there's no additional monthly fee.

Instead of setting up a separate cellular connection, Ford SYNC simply pairs itself with your current cellphone (which it's designed to happen every time you enter the vehicle). Upon airbag deployment, the system will wait 10 seconds before it automatically calls the local 911 emergency operator. A pre-recorded message will then play when the call is answered, and occupants in the vehicle will be able to communicate directly with the 911 operator.

Later this year, SYNC will offer a Vehicle Health Report functionality as well. Again, using your current cellphone, SYNC will gather data from the vehicle's control modules and send that information to Ford via an 800-number. The whole process, which in some vehicles will include a routine check of more than two dozen systems, takes a matter of minutes.

You can then receive these health reports regularly either by email or by text-message alerts. And it's all free.

It's interesting to see that Ford/Microsoft are accepting the fact that users all have their own devices that do the same thing as competing systems in the car. Rather than embedding a harddrive in the car (e.g., MyGig), SYNC uses your iPod/MP3 player. Rather than embedding a cellular connection (e.g., OnStar), SYNC uses your current cellphone.

They're not focusing on convergence, they're focusing on integration. And that's important, because it future-proofs Ford for whatever may come.

The new Hyundai Genesis, the automaker's first foray into premium sports sedan territory, will also be the first Hyundai to offer the XM NavTraffic real-time traffic service as an option.

XM Radio will of course be standard on the Genesis, as it is on nearly all Hyundai vehicles.

XM NavTraffic, which is available in 80 major North American markets, will be made available as part of the Genesis' navigation system. Every 2009 Hyundai Genesis equipped with XM NavTraffic comes standard with a free 3-month subscription of the traffic service (XM Radio also comes with a 3-month trial subscription).

“While Genesis will compete for customers with cars like Chrysler 300 and Pontiac G8, our engineering benchmarks were Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Infiniti M, and Lexus GS,” said John Krafcik, VP product development and strategic planning at Hyundai Motor America.

Genesis is built on Hyundai’s all-new, rear-wheel-drive architecture with three powertrains offered, including 3.3-liter and 3.8-liter V6 engines, and Hyundai’s all-new 4.6-liter Tau V8. The Tau will produce an estimated 375 horsepower using premium fuel (368hp using regular unleaded) leading all competitors in specific output with 79.5 to 81.0 horsepower per liter.

Hyundai's new flagship vehicle will also be the most advanced Hyundai ever. From its 8-inch navigation display (which also sports a 30-gig harddrive), to its Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS), Smart Cruise Control, and its Lexicon state-of-the-art audio system featuring LOGIC 7® technology (which, by the way, is only available on the Rolls Royce Phantom in addition to the Genesis). The MSRP is unknown at this time, but I'll make a bet that it will be a big seller for the automaker.

For this week's North American International Auto Show, Chrysler has officially unveiled the 2009 Dodge Ram truck - the first truck ever to feature Sirius Backseat TV.

Chrysler is looking to make waves with this all-new redesigned truck, featuring their first-ever crew-size cab, giving Dodge an entry into the largest and fastest-growing part of the market. Crew-size cab sales accounts for nearly 50% of market share.

The interior is fastly improved as well (driven by consumer demand of "rough on the outside, smooth on the inside" offerings from automakers). The Dodge Ram's interior now sports premium seating, soft-touch materials, redesigned controls, floor console with shifter, and nearly double the storage options.

Infotainment choices include Chrysler's MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment System with 30-gigabyte hard drive, navigation system, and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system available in the Quad Cab and crew cab.

And rounding it all off is Sirius Backseat TV - for the first time ever in a truck - and the segment-first surround-sound audio.

More than anything, it seems that Sirius Backseat TV is an added value for automakers (currently, only Chrysler) meant as a differentiator against competitors. Whether that will drive subscribers is unknown right now, but it definitely adds brand-awareness (plus it doesn't hurt to remain on the good side of OEMs).

Full Disclosure: I own a Dodge Ram, and I really really like it.

XM is jumping the gun a bit and announced the unveiling of their new XM NavWeather personalized weather tracking service for GPS nav systems, at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

While CES is ready to kick off this week, NAIAS will be held next week (January 13-17) in Detroit.

There's no official word about whether this new "infotainment vehicle" would be on display at CES as well - but you can bet I'll try to find out.

XM NavWeather - which we first heard about at last year's CES, and then later learned the product name back in August - enables drivers to view live, personalized weather forecasts and conditions on top of their existing navigation display. Sure, it was known that this personalized weather service was coming for the Bushnell ONIX400, but what we didn't know is how this would apply to OEM versions.

Another feature we didn't know about is XM's exclusive "Threat Matrix" technology which provides immediate alerts on developing weather conditions, such as hail, tornado and storm warnings, mapped to the driver's specific location and driving route. Drivers will get the option to view current and developing road weather conditions and multi-day forecasts for cities across the country, and also view weather maps to monitor conditions anywhere in the United States.

XM NavWeather was developed with Baron Services, who is XM's weather partner for the award-winning XM WX Satellite Weather service that provides "professional grade" real-time weather information direct to aircraft cockpits and marine navionics instruments.

This is the "consumer friendly" version of XM WX.

XM plans to announce the first auto partners to offer XM NavWeather in early 2008, and the service will be available for the portable Bushnell ONIX 400 within 30 days.

Ford Motor Company released their sales figures for the Ford SYNC recently, and stated that the Microsoft-powered system is on track to reach 1 million sales in early 2009.

Ford SYNC topped 30,000 sales in 2007, with sales in the final quarter of 2007 averaging approximately 10,000 units per month, the company said. This makes it one of the fastest growing new products in the auto industry.

The company also confirmed that nearly every new Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle will be available with Ford's SYNC system by year end. Approximately 85 percent of Ford's retail volume will be offered with SYNC connectivity.

During 2008, SYNC will be offered on the new 2009 Ford Flex and F-150; the 2009 Ford Escape; Escape Hybrid; and 2009 Ford Expedition. The 2009 Lincoln MKS - being launched later this year - will have SYNC as standard equipment (and will offer Sirius Travel Link as well). SYNC is being added to the 2009 Lincoln Navigator, as well as the 2009 Mariner and Mariner Hybrid.

"The average commute in America is now 30 minutes, and people want to maximize the time they spend behind in the car," said Jim Buczkowski, director of Electrical Systems Engineering at Ford. "Ford has delivered the plans and technologies to accommodate customers' entertainment and infotainment needs while allowing them to stay focused on driving."

General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Kia have come out in full force and publicly supported a combined Sirius-XM. Chrysler even sent a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and Assistant Attorney General Thomas Barnett expressing no opposition to the merger.

GM cited the enhanced program offerings and lower prices, Ford point to a positive impact that the merger would have on the competitive landscape, and Hyundai noted the pricing benefits and the "best of both" option.

Here's some select statements released by Sirius-XM:

"General Motors believes the proposed merger is and will be in the public interest because the merged company will be able to offer consumers expanded programming choices and a broad range of service packages, including packages at lower prices." - (Richard M. Lee, Executive Director - Satellite Radio Services, General Motors North American Operations)

"We believe that a company that combines the capabilities of Sirius and XM could serve the interests of consumers by offering a more dynamic and potentially cost-effective product, spurring additional competition with audio entertainment providers such as terrestrial radio, and that this may result in greater innovation."
- (Paul Mascarenas, Vice President Engineering, Product Development - The Americas, Ford Motor Company)

" ... It has become evident that satellite radio and digital satellite services must compete mightily in the U.S. with a wide array of burgeoning entertainment forms and an ever-widening list of technology participants who are delivering services in this space."
- (Charles Koch, Manager, American Honda Product Planning)

"This expanded choice and lower price is exactly the value our consumers want and deserve."
- (Len Hunt, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Kia Motors America)

"Rather than being forced to choose between content that currently is exclusive to one satellite radio provider, our customers will gain access to packages offering the 'best of both' services for significantly less than the current combined price, as well as packages of fewer channels at much lower prices."
- (Wayne Killen, Director of Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America)

Last year, these auto manufacturers sold over 85% of the light vehicles sold in the United States.

Ford Motor Co. is going all out at the upcoming 2008 International CES show (don't worry, Orbitcast will be there in full force with live daily coverage as well), and the auto manufacturer will be flexing its technological muscle with several new products on display.

Ford will be having its largest presence ever at CES, showing off both the Ford SYNC and Sirius Travel Link among other technologies (like THX, Dolby, Gracenote, and Sony-branded audio systems).

Sirius Travel Link is set to appear first on the 2009 Lincoln MKS (pictured), and then will roll it out on other vehicles throughout the second half of 2008. The system will be standard on Ford's next-gen navigation system and will be offered with six-months of service on multiple Ford, Lincoln and Mercury.
[Press Release]

As for Ford SYNC, the folks at Ford sent me some interesting updates on how the well system is being received by consumers. A few of their findings include…

• Nearly 80 percent of owners admit SYNC has “exceeded or greatly exceeded” expectations
• Over 90 percent of owners would recommend SYNC to a friend
• Over 50 percent of owners rated SYNC as “very easy” to use; over 80 percent rated the system “easy or very easy”
• Dealership personnel are doing the job as well: over 80 percent of owners noted sales people showed adequate knowledge of SYNC.

Very interesting. I suspect that satellite radio would have a similar response though, anecdotally, I wouldn't say dealership personnel are very knowledgeable about either Sirius or XM. The "cool factor" seems to have diminished over the years.

(And, you know what would be a big injection of "cool factor" for satellite radio? The voice-recognition interface by VoiceBox we saw over two-years ago. XM must be pretty annoyed over the delays in implementing that feature... I know I would be.)

Bentley, which already had an exclusive agreement with Sirius here in the States, has signed with Sirius Canada to make the service available in select vehicles for our neighbors up north.

Sirius Canada will be available as a standard feature in all Bentley Continental GT, Continental GT Speed (pictured), Continental GTC and Continental Flying Spur vehicles starting with the 2008 model year.

The Bentley vehicles with Sirius Canada built-in will also come with a complimentary lifetime subscription. Because, you know, people buying Bentleys are strapped for cash.

[Press Release]

Mitsubishi and Sirius Canada have struck a deal to make the satellite radio provider available factory-installed in their 2008 model year vehicles, several as standard equipment.

Sirius will be available as standard equipment on the 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS, Eclipse Spyder GS & GTP, Eclipse GTP and Endeavor SE & Limited.

The 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS, Lancer GTS and the incredible EVO (pictured); as well as the Outlander ES & LS; all get Sirius Canada as a factory installed option. Sirius Canada will also be made available on the new 2009 Galant.

Mitsubishi will offer a free 6-month subscription with their factory-installed Sirius receivers.

Volvo, auto manufacturer from the land of Ikea, will be integrating HD Radio into almost all of its models as standard or optional equipment.

HD Radio capability will be offered in the S40 T5 (2008 model pictured above), V50 T5, C30, C70, S80, V70, XC70 and XC90 models. (UPDATE: Note that exactly which models get HD as optional and which get it as standard equipment is not made clear in the press release. The lack of this information leads me to believe it's skewed more towards the former.)

The introduction of the HD Radio equipped Volvo vehicles is scheduled for Fall of 2008.

Volvo is a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, which has interestingly been increasing the pace of adopting new technologies as part of its in-car entertainment offerings.

[FMQB]

Ford said today that they'll be targeting an approximate 70% factory penetration rate of Sirius radios starting with the 2009 model year vehicles.

In addition, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and Ford Motor Company said that they are extending their relationship. Sirius and Ford had previously extended their partnership through 2011, but the exact terms on this deal extension were not announced. We do know that all Ford brands, Lincoln, Mercury, Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvo, and Mazda, are covered by the agreement. So that's good.

Ford had also previously been reluctant to give penetration numbers. With Chrysler at 70%, Mercedes at 90%, and VW/Audio at 80%; everyone has been tapping their collective foot waiting for a commitment from Ford.

At the 3Q07 earnings call, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin had hinted towards this by saying "there will be an announcement from Ford sometime in the future," and obviously this is it.

And let's not forget Lincoln's installations of Sirius Travel Link as well. A preemptive sign that the Sirius-Ford relationship is nice and healthy.

Over a million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles have been shipped with Sirius factory-installed. Ford recently launched Sirius on its new Focus, bringing the number of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicle lines offering factory-installed Sirius to 23.

Sirius equipped vehicles are packaged with a six-month prepaid subscription, and the vehicles covered under this new agreement will be available next year at dealers.

Sirius Canada and Lexus are expanding their relationship to make Sirius Satellite Radio available in more Lexus cars sold in Canada.

The deal expands upon Sirius Canada's partnership with Toyota Canada that make Sirius available as an option at Toyota dealerships (originally on the FJ Cruiser, Camry, and Tundra).

Now Sirius Canada will be available - again, as a dealer-installed option - on all 2008 model year Lexus IS (pictured above), ES, GS, RX, and GX models.

Sirius will be available for Lexus vehicles in Canada starting in December 2007.

[via Orbitcast Forums]

Looks like XM reserved some key OEM announcements for SEMA 2007 this year. First we had the Hyundai announcement this morning, and now the word is out that Toyota's first factory-equipped XM vehicles are set to available this upcoming spring.

The all-new 2009 Toyota Corolla and Matrix (pictured) will be the first Toyota cars to offer XM as factory-installed equipment. The popular models will also offer XM NavTraffic as an option when equipped with a navigation system... another first from Toyota. XM and XM NavTraffic are already available as factory installed features on the Lexus LS 460 and 600h models, and will be available factory installed on the upcoming 2008 LX 570.

XM will be a standard feature on all 2009 Corolla and Matrix vehicles that come with the JBL premium audio system. These will of course include the standard 3-month free trial subscription.

Toyota announced earlier this year that they've extended their partnership with XM through 2017. They've also stated that the annual factory production of XM-equipped vehicles is expected to exceed one million by 2010.

[Photo courtesy of Jalopnik]

Hyundai has expanded its rollout of XM as a factory-installed, standard feature across several new vehicles in its lineup.

For the 2008 model year, Hyundai will add the Tiburon, Accent and Tucson as new vehicles with XM Satellite Radio as a standard feature. On top of that, XM will also be standard on the new 2009 Elantra Touring - the concept vehicle (pictured above) was revealed today at the 2007 SEMA Show.

Hyundai's rollout of XM as a standard feature the U.S. started with the 2007 model year. Since then XM is a standard feature on the Azera, Elantra, Santa Fe, Sonata and Veracruz.

All Hyundais with XM installed include a 3-month free subscription.

The new Elantra Touring is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. in 2008 and is taking advantage of the strong resurgence in small hatchbacks. The photo above shows the unveiling of the Elantra Touring "Beach Cruiser" Concept, a pimped-out, customized version by K-Daddyz Kustomz of Bakersfield, CA.

Ford Motor Co. has started installing its Ford SYNC in-car entertainment system into vehicles late last month and, by a recent count, there are now over 10,000 SYNC-equipped vehicles in Ford's dealer system and more than 1,000 in customer hands.

In an informal canvassing of early buyers, Ford has said they are "hearing good news," with the system meeting high expectations.

Ford has also kicked off a significant marketing push, rolling out SYNC advertising in an online, print and television effort. See below for a video of one of their latest ads:

When I asked about the company's estimated penetration rate, a Ford representative said that they expect to build half of all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles with SYNC.

"This will be a significant feature for us," he added.

General Motors has expanded its penetration of XM Satellite Radio as a standard factory-installed feature, across its 2008 model year vehicles.

Now all Buicks, Hummers and Saabs will have XM as a standard feature for the 2008 model year.

In addition, XM is also now widely standard on the all-new 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Silverado, Tahoe, Cobalt, Corvette and Impala; Saturn Vue, Outlook, Aura and Sky; GMC Acadia, Yukon, and Sierra; and Pontiac G5 and Solstice models among others.

To date, GM has produced over 6 million vehicles with XM, and XM is available today on more than 50 model year 2008 GM vehicles.

Every new General Motors vehicle with factory-installed XM comes with a free 3-month trial subscription.

The UAW reached a tentative four-year agreement with Chrysler yesterday after only a six-hour walkout. Word of the deal came just after the UAW announced that GM workers had ratified their four-year agreement with the company.

Now it's Ford's turn.

Ford Motor Co. could be the toughest bargainer yet because of its weakened financial position, thanks to a whopping $12.6 billion loss last year. It's expected that Ford probably will look for a different deal than Chrysler and GM, perhaps with deeper concessions.

Ford generally is seen as the weakest of the Big Three automakers. It has mortgaged its factories to secure a $23.4 billion line of credit to cover losses and fund its restructuring plan, which calls for closing 16 facilities by 2012. Ford has identified 10 of the closures but has yet to announce the remaining 6 factories to close.

[AP]

Thousands of Chrysler autoworkers walked off the job today after talks with the United Auto Workers (UAW) failed to reach an agreement. This is the first UAW strike against Chrysler since 1997.

The UAW is not striking at all plants though. Apparently the union kept five plants outside the strike action because Chrysler already had idled them because of sagging sales of some models, according to an AP source.

Reuters is reporting that the 5 plants were avoided because it is a tactical move, meant to protect income for workers at those plants and make the action more costly for the automaker.

Recall that the UAW struck GM for two days before tentatively settling with the automaker. They must reach new four-year agreements with all three Detroit automakers, and has yet to come to an agreement with Ford.

A short strike likely will have little effect on Chrysler, which had a 71-day supply of cars and trucks on dealer lots at the end of August, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. A walkout longer than a month would start to cut into sales, said Paul Taylor, chief economist with the National Automobile Dealers Association.

[AP, Reuters]

Thousands of members of the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union walked off the job today at General Motors plants across the country as the two failed to reach an agreement over new contract negotiations.

The UAW has 73,000 members who work for GM at 82 U.S. facilities, including assembly and parts plants and warehouses.

GM has been pushing hard for a health care trust (known as a Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association, or VEBA) so it could move $51 billion in unfunded retiree health costs off its books. GM estimates the liability is a stumbling block to becoming competitive with leaner Japanese manufacturers.

Even after a deal is reached at GM, the union must still come to agreements at Ford and Chrysler, where the issue of a health care trust is likely to be discussed.

Together, the three auto companies have a collective liability of around $100 billion. The VEBA health care trust, would take over responsibility for paying benefits to workers and their families.

It remains to be seen what effect the strike would have on GM sales, though it has enough in stock to withstand a "short" strike. GM had an estimated 65-day supply of cars and trucks when September began, but a strike will still be costly for the company.

In 1998, GM vehicle output was shut down nationwide by local strikes at the Flint Metal Center and a Delphi parts plant in Flint. The shut down stopped GM’s North American production for 54 days and cost the company $2.2 billion.

Over 90% of GM vehicles offer factory-installed XM Satellite Radio.

[AP, New York Times]

UPDATE: According to CNBC, it's estimated that GM will lose $100 Million daily, and 12,200 vehicles daily, as a result of this strike.

XM Canada announced today that XM will be a factory-installed option on Nissan's entire 2008 vehicle line-up. Previously it was planned to have XM equipped "in thousands of Nissan vehicles" for the Canadian market.

In addition, and perhaps more importantly, Nissan's Armada SUV and 350Z sports coupe will feature XM Satellite Radio as standard equipment. XM is also a standard factory-installed feature on all 2008 Infiniti models.

Ian Forsyth, Director, Corporate & Product Planning at Nissan Canada called the expansion to the Nissan platform "a natural progression" thanks to the service's growing popularity among Infiniti owners.

I call it a "necessary progression" - and a welcome one at that.

[Press Release]

The NAB selectively quoted from Toyota's merger comments in a letter they sent to the FCC, and Toyota apparently is not happy about it, calling it a "mischaracterization" in a letter to the FCC.

Toyota's July 9th filing stated "with a finite bandwidth for both XM and Sirius, it may be difficult for a combined entity to deliver more content while maintaining or even improving audio quality."

The NAB took this to mean that Toyota "expresses doubts whether the merger is a good idea." (The letter in question of course, is the famous "sow's ear" letter.)

But Toyota said no such thing, and never meant to express any such doubts about the merger. An attorney representing wrote in a response to the FCC that "Toyota wishes to clarify any confusion that may result from the NAB’s mischaracterization of our comments."

"Toyota intended to reiterate that satellite radio bandwidth continues to limit audio quality," wrote Toyota's attorney. "This is a concern irrespective of the number of satellite radio providers, and was not intended to suggest that the problem would be worse with a single provider should the merger be approved."

"Toyota’s comment should not be read to suggest that this concern raises any doubts for Toyota as to whether the merger is a good idea."

[Read Letter (PDF) via SiriusBuzz]

We got a hint of this announcement from XM's "Coolest Car" promotion last week, but now its official: the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is the first Ferrari to come with XM Satellite Radio and XM NavTraffic factory-installed.

Arguably, you can say that this is first supercar to come with satellite radio factory-installed, but that is a distinction that Porsche and Aston Martin may dispute. And even the Audi R8 may hold rights to the 'supercar' moniker. But there's no arguing that Ferrari is the definitive supercar, and by including both the satellite radio - and traffic data component - there's a "first" somewhere in there.

The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti will come equipped with both XM Satellite Radio and XM NavTraffic as standard features and will be incorporated into the vehicle’s advanced audio and navigation system (which includes voice recognition and a built-in Compact Flash card reader).

Ferrari will also include 3-years of XM and XM NavTraffic service with each vehicle. Though considering the clientèle, I don't think the word "free" really makes a difference. It's quality that holds all the weight, and XM just earned some serious street cred with both Ferrari and Porsche under their belt. (Lamborghini has yet to tie up a relationship under the Sirius/Vee-Dub deal, though Bentley and Roll Royce ain't too shabby.)

The Chrysler Group has announced that they're looking to install Sirius Satellite Radio in over 70% of their vehicles for the 2008 model year. This is up from about 40% for the previous model year.

Sirius will be included as a standard feature in the premium and mid-level price classes on most Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep 2008 models year vehicles.

Sirius will also be a 100% standard feature - a huge plus - on the Chrysler Sebring and Aspen, the all-new Dodge Challenger (pictured) and Nitro, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander. Chrysler includes one year of Sirius service with each new vehicle, and Sirius comes pre-activated, so you can listen to Sirius immediately upon delivery of the vehicle.

In 2006, Chrysler Group had sales totaling 2,390,585 units according to Automotive News (note: this figure includes Mercedes-Benz). So as a rough guestimate, we're looking at a potential of over 1.6 million Sirius installs as a result of this announcement. This is definitely good news for Sirius.

Aston Martin and Sirius Satellite Radio have hooked up to offer Sirius as a factory-installed option, with a lifetime subscription included, on select Aston Martin vehicles.

The new models of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and DB9 vehicle lines - available in the U.S. in August - will be the first models to reap the benefits of this deal.

Up until 2007, Aston Martin was part of the Premier Automotive Group, a division of the Ford Motor Company. On March of this year, the luxury automaker was purchased by a British consortium led by David Richards of Prodrive.

Aston Martin eventually plans to offer Sirius on all models in the near future. Presumably future Sirius offerings from Aston will also include a complimentary lifetime subscription. The lifetime subscription has become a more frequent promotion from Sirius, most recently they announced that the Mini Cooper and Cooper S will be offered with a lifetime subscription.

Following in their U.S. counterpart's footsteps, Sirius Canada and Audi Canada have inked a deal to offer Sirius Satellite Radio as standard-equipment in key 2008 Audis. The deal is similar to the Sirius/Audi deal announced back in April, but the models with factory standard Sirius are slightly different.

Sirius will be available as factory standard equipment on all Canadian model year 2008 Audi S4, A6 4.2, S6, A8, S8 and Audi Q7 4.2 models. Audi Canada will also offer Sirius as factory standard equipment in the all-new R8 mid-engined sports car (pictured). 

A 3-month subscription to Sirius will be included with each vehicle.

Currently, Sirius is available only as a factory option in a large number Audi Canada vehicles including the Audi A3, the A4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet models; the RS 4, the A6 sedan and A6 Avant; the Audi Q7 SUV; and the new TT Coupe and Roadster. Now Audi Canada is bumping up the offering with Sirius as a factory-standard equipment.

As part of a limited time promotion, Infiniti will be offering consumers 3-years of free XM Satellite Radio and XM NavTraffic service on the redesigned 2008 Infiniti QX56. All 2008 Infiniti QX56 models come with XM Satellite Radio and the Infiniti Navigation System (which features XM NavTraffic) as standard equipment.

To support the kickoff of the 3-year service offer, Infiniti has developed an integrated marketing program that includes television, print, online and billboard advertising.

Earlier this year, XM announced that every 2008 Infiniti model will have XM Radio available as a standard, factory-equipped feature. XM NavTraffic is currently available on the 2007 Infiniti G35 sedan, and will be available on the all new 2008 G37 Coupe (which is the new hotness, coming in August) as part of Infiniti's Nav package.

Sirius and VW have inked a deal to offer Sirius as standard equipment in all Touareg2, New Beetle, New Beetle Convertible, GTI, and GLI models starting with the 2008 model year.

Sirius Canada and Volkswagen Canada inked a similar deal earlier this year, offering making Sirius standard in the Toureg2 and the Triple White Beatle sold in Canada.

In March of last year VW selected Sirius as its sole satellite radio provider for vehicles sold in the U.S. through 2012. Volkswagen expects to equip approximately 80% of its vehicles with SIRIUS satellite radio receivers.

Volkswagen offers 3-months of complimentary service on Sirius equipped vehicles.

XM and General Motors have inked a deal to offer free satellite radio service in GM Certified Used Vehicles, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, and Hummer Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles.

All GM Certified Used Vehicles (which includes Chevys, Pontiacs, etc), as well as Cadillac and Hummer Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles equipped with XM Radio will be available with a 3-month trial of XM service and a waived activation fee. You can find a list of Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Hummer vehicles with XM factory-installed here.

GM is the nation's largest automaker and the industry leader in manufacturer-certified used vehicle sales, representing nearly one-third of the volume of all certified used vehicles sold in the States.

Now with this deal, XM will be available in more than 115,000 of these certified GM vehicles in 2007, and grow to more than 168,000 vehicles in 2008.

Mercedes-Benz and Sirius Satellite Radio have extended their relationship to include Sirius in over 80 percent of vehicles for 2007, and plans to grow the install rate to more than 90 percent over the next 2 years.

Sirius will also now be standard equipment on two additional models this year: the S-Class and CLS. Sirius is standard equipment right now in the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class and CL-Class, as well as all AMG and 600 model vehicles.

Sirius' factory install rate for Mercedes-Benz vehicles will grow to 90 percent for 2008, and continue to over 90 percent by 2009. The original installation rate was estimated at 50 percent - set less than two years ago.

All Mercedes-Benz vehicles with Sirius installed include 6-months of free service. 

Volkswagen will now be offering Sirius Satellite Radio as standard-equipment in 2 of their new vehicle models in Canada.

The new 2008 Touareg 2 (pictured) and the special edition Triple White New Beetle Convertible (not pictured) will be featuring Sirius as standard equipment. Both were unveiled at the 2007 Vancouver Auto Show as part of VW's North American premiere.

The factory-installed Sirius receivers are bundled with a 3-month subscription.

With the addition of the new Touareg and New Beetle Convertible Triple White, a total of 7 VW models (including the Rabbit, Jetta, New Beetle, New Beetle Convertible, Passat Sedan, and Passat Wagon) are now available with Sirius Satellite Radio in Canada.

XM Satellite Radio will now be a standard factory-installed feature on every single 2008 Infiniti model, including the G, M, FX and QX.

Infiniti is part of Nissan Motor Company, who announced a factory-installed partnership with XM back in 2005.

XM NavTraffic also will now be a standard, factory-installed feature on the 2008 Infiniti QX full size SUV. Infiniti will also expand the availability of XM NavTraffic in their 2008 model year vehicles.

The new 2008 G37 Coupe (pictured) will make XM NavTraffic available as part of its navigation service, and will obviously also feature standard XM.

I have to say that I'm loving these new standard-feature announcements. It's great to be factory-installed, but standard is the real force behind mass market adoption.

Looks like Sirius is strengthening its relationship with Ford. Starting with the 2008 model year, Sirius Satellite Radio will be factory-installed satellite radio on the Lincoln MKZ, Lincoln MKX, Lincoln Navigator, Lincoln Navigator L and Lincoln Mark LT.

Last week Sirius announced that their satellite radios will be standard equipment in select Land Rover vehicles. Land Rover is owned by Ford Motor Co.

About 600,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles have already been shipped with factory-installed Sirius satellite radios. Those numbers are expected to more than double in 2007 as Sirius will be offered in 23 different models this year.

On top of being standard-equipment, a six-month pre-paid subscription to Sirius is included with each Lincoln vehicle.

(Hey, are you subscribed to Orbitcast? Well why the hell not? Keep up to date with the latest in satellite radio news and info by subscribing to the feed, or you can subscribe by email. Don't worry, you can thank me later.)

Ok, I'm not necessarily in the market for a minivan, but this thing looks incredible. Watch the 2008 Chrysler Town & Country promotional video below:

Delphi, which is working to rise up from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has historically depended on GM for a huge chunk of its sales. But with the introduction of Sirius Backseat TV in 2008 Chrysler vehicles, Delphi is further expanding their business beyond GM and getting cozier with the Chrysler Group.

You may not have known it, but Delphi makes the hardware for Sirius Backseat TV that Chrysler plans to introduce in the Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan soccer-mom-mobiles this fall. Delphi makes the receiver that accepts the satellite signal and the decoder that interprets those signals. The hardware is made in Delphi's plant in Matamoras, Mexico.

The technology will be exclusive to Chrysler for a year, and Chrysler is the first to offer live backseat TV as a factory-installed option. Other auto companies reportedly are interested but haven't committed to offering it just yet.

"We're proud to be working with Chrysler Group to help usher in the next phase of in-car entertainment," said Ken Erickson, Delphi product business unit executive, entertainment & communications. "With this video technology, passengers will be able to bring new entertainment content directly into their vehicle. They won't have to watch and carry around the same DVDs anymore."

[Detroit Free Press]

Sirius is now available as standard equipment on the 2007 model year Range Rover and Supercharged Range Rover Sport. Add to that, Sirius will now be a factory installed option on the all-new LR2 that goes on sale here in the States next week.

This makes Sirius as either a factory-installed option, or as standard-equipment, on all Land Rover vehicles (including the LR2, the LR3, Range Rover Sport and the Range Rover).

"Land Rover is delighted to offer Sirius as a standard feature or a factory option on all of our vehicles in the US," said Richard Beattie, Executive Vice President of Marketing & Sales Land Rover North America. "Land Rover can take you anywhere and with Sirius you can listen to your radio wherever your Land Rover may take you."

Land Rover is part of the Ford Motor Company's Premium Auto Group (PAG) which includes Volvo, Jaguar and Aston Martin as well as Land Rover.

Sirius Canada has been busy today. They've just announced that Sirius Canada has signed a distribution agreement with Toyota Canada to make Sirius as a dealer-installed option, starting in June 2007.

The dealer option will be available in a number of vehicle models from the Toyota and Lexus brands, though at this time we don't know exactly which models will apply.

Thanks Gary! 

Sirius Canada and Mazda Canada have signed a multi-year deal to offer Sirius Satellite Radio as a factory-installed option in Mazda vehicles in Canada.

At this time there are no additional details on the launch schedule or model availability. These will be announced in the coming months. So there you go.

 
XM Satellite Radio and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. have extended their partnership together through 2017. Toyota's expects their annual factory production of XM-equipped vehicles to exceed one million vehicles by 2010.

Funny, because following the Honda announcement yesterday, my first thought was "great, but what's up with Toyota?" Well, here's our answer. The main thing that this does is lift some concerns that Toyota wasn't really dedicated to the XM partnership. In fact, this debunks that completely. One million units by 2010? Nice.

In 2006, Lexus introduced XM as a factory-installed standard feature on the new 2007 Lexus LS 460 L. XM Radio is also available in the 2007 LS 460, which includes the service in its navigation packages. Later this year, Lexus will provide factory-installed XM as standard equipment on the upcoming luxury hybrid, LS 600h L. 

XM Satellite Radio and American Honda Company have just announced that they've extended their relationship through 2016.

Honda introduced their first factory-installed vehicle back in 2003, and is expecting to install XM in 650,000 vehicles for the 2007 model year. XM is available as a factory-installed feature on 2007 Honda models including the Civic, Civic Hybrid, CR-V, Ridgeline, Accord, Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Odyssey and Element.

XM is also a standard factory-installed feature on every 2007 Acura model, and XM NavTraffic is standard on all 2007 Acura vehicles equipped with the AcuraLink satellite communication system.

Honda and XM also recently announced a user car program to provide a complimentary 3-month subscription in XM-enabled Certified Pre-Owned Honda (and Acura) vehicles.

XM Satellite Radio and Honda have launched a satellite radio trial program for Honda Certified Used Cars with factory-installed XM Satellite Radio.

All certified pre-owned Honda models (equipped with XM Satellite Radio of course) will be available with three months of complimentary XM service and a waived activation fee. Honda models equipped with XM include the Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic, Civic Hybrid, CR-V, Element, Odyssey, Pilot, and Ridgeline.

This is obviously the evolution of a similar program that XM and Honda Motors launched with Certified Pre-Owned Acuras back in October.

Combined with the Acura program, this will make XM available in over 35,000 pre-owned vehicles in 2007, and is expected to grow to more than 55,000 vehicles in 2008. As the increased availability of factory-installed XM Satellite Radio across both Honda and Acura grow, so will the availability for this used car satellite radio program.

Ford has teamed up with Microsoft to bring a hands-free Bluetooth wireless system and in-vehicle operating system as an option for its entire Ford brand lineup, according to WSJ.

The new system, called "Sync" will be unveiled next month and will expand upon Ford's technological offering, which includes integrated iPod jacks and expanding their Sirius Satellite Radio penetration. The Sync system will allow for hands-free cellphone communication and other wireless information transfers inside the car, including the ability to receive email and download music.

According to the WSJ article, Ford's Sync system will debut next year as an option on at least two newly revamped Ford models: the Focus and Five Hundred sedans. The Sync system will then be offered in the entire Ford lineup starting in the 2008 model year. Eventually Mercury and Lincoln will hop on board.

Ford and Microsoft are said to be jointly announcing Sync at CES.

[Wall Street Journal] 

Audi Canada has signed a long-term agreement to provide Sirius as a factory-installed option to "virtually" all Audi vehicles sold in Canada.

Starting in early 2007, the following Audi vehicles will available with Sirius in Canada: the Audi A3; the A4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet; the S4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet; the RS4, the A6 sedan and A6 Avant; the S6; the Audi Q7; the Audi A8, A8 L, and the S8 and A8 L W12; and the upcoming TT Coupe and Roadster.

Audi Canada's factory-installed Sirius Satellite Radio receivers will be made available with a 3-month free trial subscription.

Here's some incredible news for Sirius Canada: Ford of Canada has announced that they will make Sirius Satellite Radio a factory-standard feature in "virtually" all Fords sold in Canada, by the end of 2007.

Sirius will be available as a standard feature in the following Ford of Canada models: Ford Five Hundred, Focus, Fusion, Mustang, Edge, Escape, Expedition, Expedition Max, Explorer, Explorer Sport Trac, Freestyle, Ranger, F-150, F-250, F-350, Lincoln Mark LT, MKX, MKZ, Navigator and Navigator L. 

That's a total of 20 vehicle lines. Absolutely great news, and hopefully a sign of things to come for the U.S. 

General Motors has said that they plan to build more than 1.8 million vehicles with XM Satellite Radio factory-installed in 2007. In August, GM said that they will reduce the price of the XM option from $325 to $199. GM currently has over 50 models featuring XM, and has sold over 4 million XM-equipped vehicles.

Last week Honda announced that they will build 650,000 XM factory-equipped vehicles in 2007. I would expect that these sort of announcements from automanufacturers will be more frequent in the weeks to come.

XM Canada has apparently inked a deal with Hyundai Canada to install receivers on two of their models. UPDATE: The two models with XM Canada factory-installed are the 2007 Hyundai Sonata and the 2007 Hyundai Azera. More models will be announced soon.

John Bitrove told the Globe and Mail that XM Canada will have an 80% share (which is an estimate 300,000 to 500,000 units) of the factory-installed satellite radio market for new cars in 2007. Sirius Canada says it sells about 70% of the receivers sold through retail.

[The Globe and Mail]

Honda will factory-install XM Satellite Radio into more than 650,000 of their 2007 model year vehicles.

In 2004 Honda made over 200,000 vehicles with XM; over 400,000 in 2005; over 550,000 in 2006; and now is projecting production of more than 650,000 factory-installed XM units for 2007.

Remember XM is also now a standard feature on all 2007 model year Acuras.

[Reuters] 

The new 2007 Nissan Altima sedan is the first Nissan production vehicle to offer the XM NavTraffic real-time traffic GPS nav-system.

XM NavTraffic is currently available in 44 markets. XM is the exclusive data services provider to Nissan vehicles and will be the exclusive satellite radio service for Nissan beginning with the 2008 model year.

Every 2007 Nissan Altima equipped with XM NavTraffic also comes standard with a three-month complimentary subscription to the service.

 

The boys over at Jalopnik are providing the hookup for the Chrysler/Sirius co-branded TV ads.

Personally I like the Dodge Nitro ad the best (though I lust after a Wrangler Unlimited). The Aspen ad is humorous, and I understand Tony Hawk is in the Wrangler Unlimited ad - but the Nitro ad is just more effective in capturing my attention. But hey, that's just me. Watch for yourself - they're all pretty good.

Dodge Nitro "Parking Space" commercial:

The other two are available for your viewing pleasure after the jump... 

[via Jalopnik]

XM Satellite Radio and Acura have announced a new program that provides a complimentary XM Satellite Radio subscription for Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. Starting this fall, Certified Pre-Owned Acuras with XM factory-installed will be available with a free 3-month subscription, this includes the RL, TL, TSX and MDX models.

Acura sells about 35,000 certified pre-owned vehicles a year. XM Satellite Radio is standard in about 1/3 of those (this share will continue to grow as XM is offered as standard equipment in all Acuras).

The day has finally come that the first Hyundai equipped with standard XM Satellite Radio is rolled out of the factory. An all-new 2007 Santa Fe, with XM Radio standard, was produced today at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) in Montgomery.

XM Satellite Radio and Hyundai announced a deal back in March 2005 to include XM as standard equipment in all Hyundai models. It has begun. 

The Santa Fe is the first of four Hyundai models to add XM Satellite Radio as a standard feature to all audio systems this year. Others include the 2007 Sonata, Azera and Elantra.

Every new XM-equipped Hyundai also comes with a 3-month trial subscription. In 2005, Hyundai's U.S. sales reached 455,012 units.

Acura is making XM Satellite Radio available as standard equipment in their entire 2007 model line.

Acura will also now offer XM NavTraffic as part of the AcuraLink system which will be expanded to four of its top-selling models: the 2007 Acura RL and TL luxury performance sedans as well as the all-new MDX and RDX luxury SUVs. Acura was the first automotive brand to offer XM NavTraffic when it was introduced in the 2005 Acura RL.

"Our partnership with XM Satellite Radio means that every Acura offers buyers a class-leading array of sophisticated satellite-delivered technologies - all designed to work together seamlessly while keeping passengers informed, entertained and in touch" said John Mendel, Senior VP of automobile operations for Acura.

With all 2007 Acuras, a three-month complimentary subscription to XM Satellite Radio will be included. Three months of XM NavTraffic is also included with properly equipped vehicles.

General Motors has announced that they are dropping the option price of factory-installed XM Satellite Radio by 39 percent. Starting with most 2007 model year vehicles, the price of XM is going from $325 to $199.

More than 60 percent of current GM customers with XM-equipped vehicles say they will prefer their next vehicle be equipped with XM Radio and 80 percent say they will recommend it to friends and family.

To date, over 4 million XM-equipped vehicles have been sold by GM. 

• Volvo S40
• Volvo V50
• Volvo C70
• All-New Volvo S80

Mitsubishi will be offering SIRIUS Satellite Radio as either a standard feature or factory option on four Mitsu models this fall, and throughout the entire 2008 Mitsubishi model line, available in the United States next year.

This fall, SIRIUS will be standard equipment on the model year 2007 Galant RALLIART, Endeavor SE and all Raider LS and DuroCross double cab pickup trucks.

On most other trim levels of the Galant, Endeavor and Raider and on the all-new Outlander, SIRIUS will be available as a factory option.

All SIRIUS-equipped vehicles will include a six-month, pre-paid subscription.

Truck manufacturer Peterbilt will be offering SIRIUS Satellite Radio as a standard equipment on all Peterbilt Platinum level Unibilt sleepers.

Additionally, SIRIUS radios will continue to be available as factory installed option on all other Class 8 conventional Peterbilt vehicles. Peterbilt will also offer prepaid activation and three months of complimentary service on all vehicles equipped with SIRIUS radios starting with production installation on August 1, 2006.

Peterbilt will use the DEA300 SIRIUS/AM/FM/CD radio, the first all-in-one SIRIUS integrated radio available as factory installed in the commercial vehicle market.

XM Canada and Suzuki Canada have signed a multi-year agreement to factory install and dealer install XM Satellite Radio in several Suzuki vehicles starting with the 2007 model year.

The 2007 XL-7 JLX will be factory-installed with XM, while the 2007 Grand Vitara and SX4 will offer XM with a dealer-installed option. 2006 Grand Vitara's already are available with XM dealer-installed for the 2006 model year.

XM will eventually be available in a majority of Suzuki Canada'a lineup. XM Canada will give Suzuki buyers free activation and 3-months of free service.

[Press Release] 

Ford Canada and Sirius Canada today have announced signing an agreement that will put SIRIUS Satellite Radio receivers as factory-installed equipments in "virtually" all Ford models sold in Canada by 2008. "Virtually" sounds like legal-speak for "pretty much standard but there's some hiccups in the production so let's just call it 'virtually' to protect ourselves."

Whatever the legal meaning, we know for sure that the Canadian 2007 model year lines will include the Ford Fusion, Mustang, Five Hundred, Freestyle, Ranger, Explorer, Sport Trac, Expedition, Expedition Max, Edge, Lincoln Navigator, MKZ, and MKX. So it's good news from the OEM front.

[Press Release] 

Looks like General Motors is up to something. In a recent U.S. Patent application, GM has spec'd out a method for "customized music delivery" to vehicles. Here's the abstract first:

A system and method for customized music delivery to a vehicle including determining a playlist, storing the playlist on a server, selecting content corresponding to the playlist, transmitting the content to the vehicle by satellite, and storing the content in a telematics unit. 

The overall concept is that the user would be able to create a custom playlist that is stored remotely on a server, and access that playlist - via satellite - anywhere in your car. They specifically cite SDARS and give several examples of usage (including video). The integration could be with the 'telematics unit' either connected to the vehicle's satellite radio receiver, or embedded within.

It sounds like a great system. GM would be solving all the connection problem that people have had with iPods (to the point now that an iPod cord is considered a "feature" in some cars now). My only concern would be with how human's would interface with the system. Selecting a playlist while driving could be a pretty dangerous endeavor.

Unless... XM has already solved this problem.

Thanks Tim! 

SIRIUS Canada and BMW Canada have inked a long term deal that will make SIRIUS Satellite Radio receivers a factory and dealer option for BMW vehicles sold in Canada.

Starting this fall, SIRIUS Satellite Radio will be available in select Canadian BMW models bundled with a subscription to SIRIUS Canada's satellite radio service.

By 2007, all BMW models will be SIRIUS Satellite-ready.

Here's an interesting deal. XM Canada and Toyota Canada announced the signing of a multi-year agreement today, offering XM Canada in Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

Starting on August 6th, XM Canada will supply their satellite radio service to select Toyota and Lexus vehicles. 

Under the agreement, XM Canada will offer free activation plus 3-months of free satellite radio service. An additional 3-months is then matched by Toyota Canada, providing a full trial period of 6-months to the customer.

[Press Release (PDF)]

SIRIUS Fan Network found a neat limited edition run of a SIRIUS branded Ford Fusion. Only 200 of these vehicles will be made available in the Toronto area  (so yes, this is to promote SIRIUS Canada).

The SIRIUS Ford Fusion comes with tinted windows, 16" aluminum dubs, a decklid spoiler, and a chrome tip exhaust. Oh, and SIRIUS Satellite Radio with a free 1-year subscription. 

Check out the landing page and the 8 videos promoting the car here. 

[SIRIUS Fan Network] 

Honda, who first introduced its factory-installed XM vehicles in 2003, has recently sold its one-millionth vehicle with a factory-installed XM Satellite Radio in the United States. American Honda will equip more than 550,000 of its 2006 model year vehicles with XM.

XM Satellite Radio is a factory-installed feature on the 2006 models of the Honda Civic, Ridgeline, Pilot, Accord, Accord Hybrid, Odyssey, and Element. XM is also standard equipment on all Acura RL, TL, TSX and MDX models, and will be standard in the all-new 2007 Acura RDX Sport Utility Vehicle.

WOW. This is awesome news. SIRIUS Satellite Radio and Kia Motors America inked a deal to offer SIRIUS as factory standard equipment in all Kia vehicles.

The long-term agreement runs through 2014 and makes SIRIUS Satellite Radio a standard feature in all 2009 model year Kia vehicles, beginning in 2008.

Kia customers will receive three months of complimentary service, and all radios will be factory activated for dealer and customer convenience.

"We are very excited to add Kia to our list of exclusive automotive partners," said Mel Karmazin, CEO of SIRIUS. "Kia is an exciting company that is producing appealing cars to a growing number of consumers in the U.S., and we look forward to closely working with them to make the Kia in-vehicle experience even more rewarding."

This poses a curious conundrum as Kia is actually a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Corp. Hyundai and XM Satellite Radio inked a similar factory standard equipment deal around the same time last year. It'll be interesting to learn more about this deal as it comes to light.

Lexus, which today unveiled their new LS 600h L luxury hybrid sedan at the NYIAS press event, also announced they will offer XM Satellite Radio as standard, factory-installed equipment on the 2007 LS 460 L and the 2008 LS 600h L luxury hybrid sedan. XM will also be available as a factory-installed feature on the 2007 LS 460 model as part of the navigation option.

The all-new fourth generation LS series will be the first Lexus models to offer factory-installed XM Satellite Radio. In addition to offering XM Satellite Radio, both the LS 460 L and the LS 600h L hybrid will be the only vehicles in the prestige luxury segment to offer XM’s real-time traffic service, XM NavTraffic.

“This launch is just the beginning for XM and Toyota as XM will be further integrated into Toyota Motor Sales vehicles,” said Hugh Panero, President and CEO of XM Satellite Radio.

[Press Release]

There's been some question about why Volkswagen would opt from offering both satellite radio providers to offering only one. It would seem the best thing for VW would be to provide the choice to the consumer.

An article in Reuters today shines a bit more light on the background of deal now. XM spokesman Chance Patterson told Reuters the expense of pursuing deals with these automakers was not worth the return.

"XM has long-term agreements with Toyota, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai Corp. We evaluated the VW-Audi deal and determined the significant cost didn't justify the limited volume of vehicles produced," he said.

Interesting fact: Germany's Volkswagen is Europe's biggest automaker, but in 2005 it produced only 1.8 percent of the automobiles sold in the United States.

But even more importantly I think Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett has a great point. The number of cars being produced with satellite radio will now signficantly be increased. Craig Moffett said that while the total number of cars involved in this new deal is relatively small, the pact may ultimately be positive for both XM and Sirius, because of the high percentage of units that will install the radios.

"This signals that Volkswagen believes that there is enough demand for satellite radio...for it to put satellite radio in a very high proportion of its cars," he said in a note to clients. "It is yet another data point that indicates that ultimately the percentage of new cars that will have satellite radio installed is higher than consensus expects.."

So overall it's a good move for the awareness of the satellite radio industry in general.

[Reuters] 

SIRIUS Satellite Radio has inked a deal with Volkswagen of America to offer SIRIUS as VW's sole satellite radio provider for vehicles sold in this country through 2012. Volkswagen will exclusively offer SIRIUS beginning with the introduction of its 2007 model year vehicles, and expects to equip approximately 80% with SIRIUS satellite radio receivers. Additionally, Volkswagen will offer three months of complimentary service.

Volkswagen is a key auto manufacturer with several brands under it's umbrella. As part of this deal, Audi of America will offer SIRIUS as its exclusive satellite radio provider for Audi's model year 2007 - 2012 vehicles. Today, the installation rate of satellite radio in Audi models is approximately 50%.

Volkswagen owns Audi, Bentley, Bugati, Lamborghini, and several others (SEAT, Skoda, etc - but they're not so common in the States). Previously they had a joint deal with both XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

[Press Release (Volkswagen)]
[Press Release (Audi)]

SIRIUS Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio have both announced deals with Subaru to offer satellite radios as options for several 2007 model year vehicles.

SIRIUS radios will be offered as a port and dealer installed option in the 2007 Subaru Forester, starting in May of this year. In August, Subaru will begin offering SIRIUS as a port and dealer installed option in the 2007 Subaru Impreza. Subaru will also offer SIRIUS as a standard feature in the 2007 Outback Sport Special Edition.

XM radios will also be offered as a port or dealer installed option in Subaru's top-selling Legacy and Outback 2007 models when they debut later this year. The new B9 Tribeca SUV will also offer XM satellite radio when it goes on sales in June, and the new B9 Tribeca Special Edition will feature XM as standard equipment.

Both XM and Sirius will offer 3-months of complimentary service and waive activation fees for Subaru customers. 

[Press Release] 

Nissan has tapped XM Satellite Radio as its factory-installed satellite radio solution for Infiniti and Nissan vehicles beginning with the 2008 model year. More than five hundred thousand Nissan and Infiniti vehicles with factory-installed XM Satellite Radio are projected to be produced for the 2008 model year with more than one million projected annually by the 2010 model year.

Back in January Nissan and XM signed a long-term satellite-delivered data and telematics services (in-vehicle messaging and XM NavTraffic) and now Nissan and XM are expanding this relationship.

Sirius Satellite Radio and DaimlerChrysler have extended their relationship through September 1, 2012. For the 2006 model year, over 750,000 subscribers are expected to be generated from the Chrysler Group alone, with volumes estimated to increase significantly in the future.

General Motors announced it has produced more than three million vehicles with factory-installed XM satellite radios. With more than 50 vehicle models featuring XM Satellite Radio, nearly 90 percent of GM’s U.S. retail models will offer factory-installed XM satellite radios as either an option or as standard equipment in the 2006 model-year.

In November 2001, GM began offering XM Satellite Radio in the Cadillac line the same month that XM launched its service nationwide. Rawq on.

(Damn, I went nearly 2 days without posting. No, I’m not dead. The recent job hunt has taken up alot of my time and energy. Speaking of which, if you’re in the NYC/CT area and are looking for an online marketing guru - shoot me an email)

Sirius Satellite Radio and BMW have extended their exclusive relationship with each other through August 2008. Factory-installed Sirius satellite radios will continue to be available on the hot new BMW 3-Series Sedan and Sports Wagon, as well as the BMW 5, 6 and 7 Series, with a one-year bundled Sirius subscription included in the price of the vehicle.

Other BMW models, including X3, X5, Z4, M3, 3-Series Coupe and 3-Series Convertible, as well as the BMW-owned MINI will continue to have Sirius Satellite Radio available as a dealer-installed accessory.

Their relationship doesn’t stop at just satellite radio service, SIRIUS has partnered with BMW as a sponsor of a variety of BMW consumer events throughout the US. These include the Formula BMW USA Championship, The Ultimate Drive for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The Ultimate Driving Experience, BMW Team PTG M3 race cars, and The BMW Golf Cup.

Sirius Satellite Radio also played a key role in the launch of the 2006 BMW 3-Series Sedans, including daily support of the 44-day “3 Across America” tour, which culminated with an 18-hour marathon broadcast that aired on a special SIRIUS BMW Channel.