Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. announced the next evolution of the nuvi 200 series, the entry-level favorites in Garmin's popular nuvi line. The nuvi 2x5 models are available in vibrant 4.3" or 3.5" screens with an all new shaded elevation mapping display. Using Garmin's unique Web site - Garmin Connect Photos - users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google's Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nuvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.

    The low-priced nuvi 2x5 models, a family of new products introduced at CeBIT, improve upon the features of their 200-series predecessors while providing the opportunity to add top-of-the-line features such as improved mapping and routing features, faster satellite acquisition, navigation by photos, FM traffic updates or dynamic content from MSN Direct.

   Nuvi 200 comes preloaded with City Navigator NT map data for the continental U.S., Hawaii and Puerto Rico or one European region or country. Simply touch the color sunlight-readable screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2-D or 3-D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. In addition, nüvi 200 accepts custom points of interest such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.

    "The nuvi 2x5 products allow us to meet and exceed the basic needs of the budget-minded consumer while giving them further opportunity to expand," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "By making traffic and MSN Direct content accessible with our most basic nuvi models, the choice is truly in the buyer's hands. Pick a price, and there's your nuvi."

    The nuvi 2x5 series features a fast 333 Mhz Microprocessor which greatly enhances the map drawing and routing capability. In addition, satellite reception is even faster than before thanks to Garmin's new HotFix feature which automatically calculates and stores critical satellite information and can use that information to quickly calculate a position without waiting for data collection from the satellites. Each nuvi 2x5 comes standard with the popular "Where am I?" feature. At any time, with a single tap of the screen, drivers can display their exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations.

    The nuvi 255 and 255W will be available in versions that include comprehensive coverage of North America, Europe, Australia or New Zealand. The nuvi 255 and 255W models for North America, Australia or New Zealand announce street names in their voice prompts, advising you to "Turn right on Walnut Street" rather than just saying "Turn right in 500 feet." The nuvi 205 and 205W will be available in versions that offer mapping choices such as the contiguous United States, Canada or regional sections of Europe.

    When used with an optional receiver, each nuvi 2x5 can display important updated information from Traffic Message Channel or MSN Direct. The enhanced dynamic content from the second generation of the MSN Direct network includes updated information about traffic conditions, fuel prices, weather reports, movie listings, headline news items, stock listings, local events and custom locations sent directly from Windows Live Local.