Toyota has launched the proprietary telematics system that far surpasses the OnStar.  The new Safety Connect service is a system that enhances safety while displaying real time road and traffic information, reports weather conditions, and locates local points of interest from dining to gas stations, dry cleaners to museums.  It also has audio and video download capability.

Onstar was developed primarily to offer safety features that automatically communicate with emergency contacts and notifies the nearest public system answering port of the location of the car after an accident.  The new Toyota telematics system will do much more.  Many of the features are the same as the GM OnStar system; a 24 hour service will dispatch an ambulance if there is no response after airbags are deployed or a rear end collision occurs,  the program has a system to un-lock the doors when the keys are accidentally locked in, and a live voice can be accessed if there is an emergency situation, but unlike Onstar, Toyota’s proprietary version will allow the driver to speak with a live operator by touching the LCD monitor, whether or not there is an emergency.

Customers will sign up for a monthly subscription to the service that will entitle subscribers to many services including the Stolen Vehicle Location Service that will track the stolen vehicle using the car’s GPS.

The Lexus Enform is a navigational base system that takes Toyota’s telematics to a new level offering weather reports,”There are more possibilities for telematics other than utility and entertainment,” commented Akio Toyoda, senior managing director overseeing the telematics division. (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)the two systems Lexus offers have features that allow the vehicle to become a virtual information device utilizing Toyota’s 24 hour ATX call center that employs twenty four hour live operator assistance. Drivers will be directed to a specific address, or they may just request the nearest 5 star restaurant serving a certain type of cuisine and the system will accommodate the request.

See your local St. Louis Sprit Toyota Dealer today to get more details on the price and features offered by the new telematics satellite system.