Mitsubishi Motors' All-New Eclipse to Be Featured By XM Satellite Radio at CES 2000 Booth
27 December 1999
Mitsubishi Motors' All-New Eclipse to Be Featured By XM Satellite Radio at CES 2000 Booth
To See This Hot Car and Preview XM's Exciting Content,
Visit XM at CES, Sands Convention Center, Booth 19130
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 -- XM Satellite Radio today announced
that it will feature the all-new, 2000 model Mitsubishi Motors' Eclipse sports
coupe in its Consumer Electronics Show booth in Las Vegas, January 6 to 9.
The all-new Eclipse will be equipped with a prototype AM/FM/XM audio system
made by Mitsubishi Electronic Automotive America, which recently signed an XM-
capable radio manufacturing agreement with XM Radio. In addition, Mitsubishi
Motors is exploring the use of XM Radio technology in its other automotive
product lines.
"We are excited to partner with Mitsubishi in this dual product
demonstration," said Dan Murphy, XM's Vice President of Retail Sales and
Marketing. "Mitsubishi Motors is known for its quality, innovation and
implementation of cutting-edge technology. We are particularly impressed with
the company's focus on the needs of its customers as is demonstrated in the
new Eclipse, which has been a leading import brand sports coupe in the USA.
We believe that XM and Eclipse customers have a great deal in common. They
are young, enthusiastic and put a premium on the quality of their cars and car
sound systems."
"Market research indicates that XM programming will have a strong appeal
among 20 to 30 year olds, the Eclipse's target buyer," added Mike Krebs,
Director, Product Strategy for Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc. (MMSA).
"Eclipse is a halo vehicle for us, and to stay ahead of our competition, we
investigate and incorporate advanced technologies, such as satellite radio as
quickly as possible."
Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc., was established in 1982 by
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Tokyo, and markets a full line of vehicles,
including coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles.
XM Satellite Radio is developing a new band of radio, targeted to launch
in early 2001. XM will create up to 100 channels of digital-quality music,
news, sports, talk and children's programming, which will be uplinked to XM's
powerful satellites and transmitted directly to vehicle, home and portable
radios from coast to coast for a monthly subscription fee of $9.95. XM is
backed by a group of industry-leading strategic investors, including General
Motors, Clear Channel Communications and DIRECTV, the leading car, radio and
satellite companies in the US. In addition, Alpine, Clarion, Delphi Delco,
Mitsubishi Electronic Automotive America, Motorola, Pioneer and Sharp are
among the consumer electronics firms that will design, manufacture and market
XM-ready radios.
In October 1999, XM Satellite Radio completed a successful
public offering on Nasdaq. American Mobile Satellite Corporation
holds controlling interest in the company. XM's other
investors include industry leaders Clear Channel Communications Inc.; DIRECTV,
Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics Corporation; the General Motors
Corporation; and a private investment group comprised of Columbia Capital,
Telcom Ventures L.L.C., and Madison Dearborn Partners, which together invested
$250 million in the company in July 1999. XM Satellite Radio obtained one of
only two satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) licenses from the
Federal Communications Commission in October 1997. First there was AM, then
FM and soon ... XM Satellite Radio. For more information, please visit XM's