Pioneer announced a new class of car radios for 2014 that include Connected Car features Pioneer calls the Networked Entertainment eXperience (NEX).
The line of 5 car head units (4 navigation/radios and one AV/radio) include iDatalink connections to factory features like OnStar, SYNC and Uconnect and also include MirrorLink, HDMI, and a new traffic and weather service from Pioneer called AVICSYNC.
The top of the line AVIC-8000NEX is the first car radio to include a 7-inch capacitive screen with multi-touch (like those on smartphones and tablets).
With AVICSYNC users get a new navigation system from their smartphone connection that provides more up to the minute traffic updates (every two minutes) plus always-updated maps, local search, gas prices and weather. The cloud service launches in the spring and requires a subscription. (Available on the 4 navigation NEX models).
MirrorLink, once only available on the AppRadio now expands to the full NEX line for mirroring apps from a smartphone to the car radio (and controlling them from the radio).
All but one of the NEX units include HDMI connections to a smartphone as well as HD Radio.
The NEX line also has improved Bluetooth with better sound quality, Siri Eyes Free, and Pandora Station Creation to create new Pandora stations from the car radio while driving.
All models are Sirius/XM ready and include Aha’s Internet Radio system. They also support FLAC “lossless” digital audio files. Navigation NEX models now also support two camera inputs.
The line ships in February and includes the AVIC-8000NEX ($1400 SRP), AVIC-7000NEX ($1200 SRP), AVIC-6000NEX ($900 SRP), AVIC-5000NEX ($750 SRP) and AVH-4000NEX ($700 SRP).
Source: Pioneer Electronics
Photo: AVIC-8000NEX
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