Chrysler Going Hi-Tech

For years, Chrysler has been trailing both Ford and General Motors in terms of sale and production. But Chrysler is expected to return to profitability as early as this year while the other two automakers expect to be back to profitability by the turn of the decade.

At the North American International Auto Show, Chrysler announced another of its plan to bring more consumers back into their dealerships. The company announced that they are currently working on an "advanced, in-vehicle, wireless communications system". The automaker said that the system will improve security and convenience of vehicles.

Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President for Product Development at Chrysler had this to say according to The Auto Channel: "We recognize that customers are spending more and more time in their vehicles, and that the automobile is becoming much like an additional room in the home or office. To address this evolving reality, Chrysler vehicles will soon boast an unprecedented level of vehicle connectivity, delivering a wide array of important communications features directly to our customers, in their vehicles."

According to Klegon, here are some of the features that their vehicles be equipped with in the near future:

• Turn-by-turn navigation combined with satellite imagery to provide more realistic maps
• Automatic wireless map updates, to ensure that drivers will always have the most up-to-date map information. Real-time weather and hazard information will also be available
• Electronic service reminders, delivered directly to the vehicle
• Internet search
• E-mail access, to include access to e-mail accounts, read-out of messages using text-to-text speech, and sending messages via voice command
• The ability to make on-line purchases, view streaming movies and download music
• Remote vehicle computer updating - Wirelessly download software updates for any electronic module
• Wireless audio and video file transfer from home computer to car