Segment-Exclusive Phatnoise System, Standard Dvd Highlight Entertainment Choices In GM's New Crossover Sport Vans

DETROIT July 29, 2004; Whether it's a quick commute to soccer practice or a cross-country vacation, GM's new 2005 crossover sport vans (CSVs), including Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV6 and Saturn Relay, are outfitted with segment-leading, thoughtful entertainment and convenience features to make trips more enjoyable for all passengers.

GM was the first manufacturer to offer an integrated, factory-installed video entertainment system in vans and one of the first to offer a DVD system. With the new CSVs, leadership in in-vehicle entertainment - a very important area of customer consideration in vans - increases with a standard DVD player with flip-down, 7-inch (178-mm) screen and integrated controls on all models. The system accommodates CD, MP3 and DVD formats, has a parental mute override function and is equipped with inputs to allow items such as video games and video recorders to be played on the screen.

The new CSVs also offer the segment-exclusive Mobile Digital Media Powered by PhatNoise system. PhatNoise is a wallet-sized, 40-gigabyte hard-drive cartridge that installs in the vehicles' integrated overhead rail system. The system's capabilities include:

Storing and playing back up to 10,000 songs in MP3, WMA or WAV formats (10,000 songs capacity is based on 128 kbps MP3 encoding with average song length of 4 minutes; using 64 kbps WMA encoding with average song length of 4 minutes gives 20,000 songs capacity) Storing and playing up to 40 typical movies in MPEG format (standard format for movies) Storing and playing a combination of songs and movies Playing classic video games with a wireless game controller A voice-browsing interface - if the driver wants to listen to music, the system reads aloud over the radio speakers the song's name, allowing the driver to quickly navigate through a list of stored music using steering wheel buttons The ability to create custom playlists of music and play the songs back in order or at random, creating your own personal "radio" station; multiple playlists can be created for each family member or for different moods Listening to books, magazine or newspaper articles downloaded from audible.com Allowing simultaneous listening to two entertainment sources The PhatNoise system's hard-drive cartridge is easily removable, so it can be connected to a home PC or laptop to download content for playback in the vehicle, giving passengers an unprecedented level of entertainment customization. There is simply nothing comparable to PhatNoise available in any other vehicle. Audio options In addition to the standard DVD and optional PhatNoise entertainment systems, the new CSVs offer a host of other audio choices, including:

Standard AM/FM radio with MP3-capable single-disc CD player Available premium AM/FM radio with integrated (in-dash), MP3-capable six-disc CD changer Available "tri-mode" entertainment system allows passengers to listen to as many as three separate entertainment sources simultaneously - DVD, CD and radio - through the speakers and dual-channel wireless headphones XM Satellite Radio XM Satellite Radio provides more than 120 coast-to-coast, digital-quality channels of original commercial-free music and premier news, sports and talk as well as advanced traffic and weather information for select major metropolitan areas nationwide. Consumers can subscribe to the basic service for $9.99 a month. In addition, GM customers with GMAC financing can choose to include the XM subscription in their car payments. A navigation radio also is available in Buick Terraza and Saturn Relay. It features an AM/FM MP3-capable CD radio that is compatible with XM Satellite Radio and other rear-seat entertainment functions, and a large, easy-to-read 6.5-inch (165 mm) screen with touch-screen controls. The system allows the driver to use voice commands (including French Canadian) to control some of the functions for safer, hands-on-the-wheel, eyes-on-the-road vehicle control. A DVD disc provides full-map route guidance.

'Toy box' convenience Along with the numerous audio and video entertainment choices, the new CSVs also deliver surprising, segment-leading versatility with the adaptable, second-row "toy box" convenience center. For CSVs equipped with second-row modular bucket seats, this optional, multipurpose utility box offers four molded cupholders, a divider tray - which can be used to hold lunch or serve as a writing/drawing surface - and a soft-sided cooler. Made from heavy-duty plastic, the toy box is easy to install and the tray can be removed to provide access to a storage bin suitable for CDs, DVDs and other miscellaneous items. It also has holes to accommodate the wires of video game controllers.

Another innovative storage feature found inside the CSVs is an overhead rail system, which integrates into a single unit overhead lighting, rear HVAC controls and audio controls for the standard DVD entertainment system. Snap-in storage and accessory modules are available to store smaller items such as CDs and DVDs.