Navi postcode lottery

Factory fit sat-nav gets lost in postcode lottery.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Jack Rix

19th April 2008

Have you always believed that a factory-fitted satellite navigation system was superior to a portable one? Then think again!

Inputting a postcode is the best way to pinpoint a destination, but an Auto Express investigation has found that the kit offered in most cars doesn’t offer a full six-digit entry.

We checked the specification of the cheapest guidance units offered on the best-selling models from 24 manufacturers. Of these, four systems only allowed a five-digit postcode entry, seven had a four-number function and six came with no postcode compatibility at all! A mere seven cars had full UK postcode entry, while three makers – Kia, Proton and Suzuki – don’t offer factory-fitted sat-nav on any of their models.

Most manufacturers add sat-nav to a car’s options, and the average price of our sample group (listed in our table, above) worked out at £1,350. Yet a portable unit such as Garmin’s Nüvi, with a full six-digit postcode search, costs from as little as £100. One of the big surprises is that premium brand Lexus charges £2,710 for sat-nav in its IS compact exec (above), yet this set-up doesn’t have postcode recognition. It’s the same story with units for the Peugeot 407, Toyota Auris, Vauxhall Astra and Fiat Grande Punto – although the latter costs £500, and is the cheapest factory-fit sat-nav on our list.

These mass-market firms could be forgiven for cutting corners, but best-selling cars from premium marques BMW, Mercedes and Audi only offer four or five-digit inputs. There is a reason for this, though – the sat-nav software is designed primarily for the postcode system in Germany, which only goes to five digits.