Satnav charges that can ambush drivers further down the road

AS MODERN cars become festooned with evermore gadgets, the in-built satnav is now a standard fixture.

However, as they become indispensable for driving, many motorists may not realise they are far from inexpensive. Indeed, owners face unforeseen charges down the line should they wish to have the most up-to-date road maps on their device.

An investigation by Auto Express magazine found that the cost of updating the in-built satnav system varies by hundreds of pounds, depending on the make, model and age of your car, even though most get the mapping software from the same provider.

Owners of older Jaguar XFS pay up to £316 for satnav updates, while those for Ford cars vary from £81.90 to £159, depending on model and age, the research found, with those driving earlier editions paying most.

Subaru vehicles operating on an old system face an update cost of £300, while the charge for newer Subarus with Sd-card satnavs is £100 after the three free updates run out.

Owners of new cars often benefit from free updates, with makers such as Volvo and Volkswagen now including lifetime updates on their latest models.

Drivers of older Volvo models have to cough up £125 to bring satnav maps up to date. However, not all car-makers have adopted this policy. Audi will give five free updates to owners of vehicles with its Navigation Plus systems, after which they will be charged – albeit the fee has yet to be determined.

Nissan, which charges up to £196 depending on the model, says its latest European mapping software adds 1,439,809km of roads, new street names, plus better junction information, while drivers of new Fords get free updates for seven years.

Car manufacturers claim the fees are often associated with the software packages they pay for as well as the amount of labour that is involved in updating a satnav.

Drivers hoping to use their mobile phone GPS as a short cut should beware that they may be prosecuted if caught driving while on the phone.

HERE Technologies, a data provider, said that while brands receive regular map updates, “it’s up to manufacturers to choose the frequency of updates for individual models and whether to offer them for free”.