Buick, OnStar usher in new era of road trips

Paper maps, disposable cameras and a stockpile of car toys once were essential for any family road trip.
Today, according to a 2014 Expedia.com report, only 22 percent of Americans still use printed maps, relying instead on technology for directions, entertainment and more. The 2015 Buick LaCrosse, with built-in OnStar 4G LTE, is leading the way in this evolution of the family road trip, providing advancements in connectivity and passenger comfort.
OnStar 4G LTE allows passengers to connect up to seven mobile devices, such as tablets, laptops and smartphones, to the vehicle’s built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. It works inside and around the vehicle, so everyone can stay connected at their favorite road trip stops.
With the LaCrosse’s 4G LTE connection, families can plan their route from the road and upload photos and videos from the car. OnStar’s 4G LTE and Wi-Fi hardware are standard on the new LaCrosse.
“Road trips today are greatly changed from the ones we took with our families 20, 10 or even five years ago,” said John McFarland, director, Global Connected Customer. “Navigation alone makes choosing stops much easier, and now with built-in connectivity, travelers have an abundance of information and entertainment at their fingertips.”
According to Strategy Analytics, 74 percent of tablets sold this year will be Wi-Fi only. Additionally, as many as 91 percent of all tablets used in North America, including those enabled for cellular connections, will be used as Wi-Fi only.
“Technology really has changed the way we travel today,” said David Lorenz, marketing manager, Pure Michigan. “Travelers are looking for easy access to information and they don’t necessarily just want that in advance of travel. Applications like OnStar and other technologies allow people to make quick, last-minute changes to their itinerary.”
The LaCrosse also makes road trips more comfortable for travelers. With ample legroom in the front and rear seats and dual-zone climate controls, travelers can keep their area of the vehicle personalized to fit their needs.
The Buick LaCrosse provides a full safety suite, including eight standard air bags and available features such as forward collision alert, lane departure warning, lane change alert, side blind zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, following distance indicator, high-intensity discharge, or HID, headlamps with articulating headlamps, fog lamps, head-up display, collision preparation (with collision mitigation braking), full-speed-range adaptive cruise control and the safety alert seat.
OnStar’s 4G LTE will be available on the LaCrosse, Buick Verano, Regal, and Encore for the 2015 model year and will be available on all Buick products for the 2016 model year.
Source: GM