Lexus LS-460 is King of High-Tech

MINNETONKA, Minn.--May 16, 2006--When it ships later this year the 2007 Lexus LS-460 will have more technology features than any other vehicle offered for sale in the North American Market, according to Telematics Research Group (TRG).

Chief among the Lexus-LS-460's technology offerings is a factory-installed 30GB hard disk drive partitioned for music and navigation. The only other car to offer a factory-installed hard disk drive is the Mercedes S-Class but in this case it is for navigation only.

Another advanced technology on the LS-460 is cameras for lane departure warning and park assist. The Lexus uses a total of three cameras that will aid in parking the vehicle, as well as warn the driver when the vehicle veers out of the lane.

Rounding out the technology package are touch-screen and voice activated navigation system, Bluetooth phone control, monitored telematics, live traffic reports and a 19-speaker audio system that reads compressed audio formats (i.e. MP3).

"The LS-460 includes more technology than any other passenger vehicle offered for sale in the U.S." says Phil Magney, president and principal analyst with TRG. "Based on our criteria of 30 technology features in the areas of telematics, infotainment, and driver assist technologies, the LS-460 scores the highest of all vehicles."

While the Lexus LS-460 includes the most technology features, a close second is the 2006 BMW 7-Series and the 2007 Mercedes S-Class, both tied at 20. They are followed by the Lexus LX-470.

In all, thirteen vehicles make up the top five list of vehicles having the most technologies. In terms of brands only five OEMs hold positions here - BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac, Lexus, and Acura.

Eight of the vehicles are priced over $50,000, three models are priced from $40,000 to $50,000, and two are priced between $30,000 and $40,000. Two of the 13 vehicles are SUVs, while the rest are near-luxury or luxury sedans.

The Results: http://www.telematicsresearch.com/imageArchive/TRG_ModelComparison.JPG

Earlier this month, it was declared that BMW was the brand leader in terms of technology availability across all models. On an overall basis, BMW deploys more technology than any other brand.

About TRG:

TRG (Telematics Research Group, Inc.) tracks and analyzes the markets for automotive telematics, navigation, infotainment and driver assist and licenses this competitive intelligence to leading companies around the world.