Mazda to offer iPod adapter
August 7, 2006 by Alborz Fallah
Mazda Motor Corporation has announced today that it will introduce an iPod® connection adapter. This is the first of its kind for any volume-selling model and allows the driver to play their iPod through the car’s audio system.To be launched in Japan on August 22, 2006, the company will put the device on sale as a vehicle accessory available from Mazda dealers in countries throughout the world. Mazda is the first to offer iPod adapters across their entire future product range, including the new cross over SUV the CX-7 and their new pick-up truck the BT-50. Owners of current Mazda passenger vehicles and Tribute SUV will also benefit from this technology as they too can fit the new iPod connection adaptor to their vehicle. This accessory can also be fitted to some previous Mazda models including 121, 323 and 626 released since 2000.
“This is a very exciting development for Mazda,” Mazda Australia managing director, Mr Doug Dickson, said.
“Drivers can now listen to their iPod through the quality audio systems in Mazda vehicles. Not only does this technology provide better sound quality, it is also much safer as drivers do not have to look down at their iPod when changing the song.”
The iPod connection adaptor will be on sale in Australia in early October and retail for $265 (excluding installation).
Product features of Mazda’s iPod connection adaptor accessory:
- ·Connected by a special adaptor to the car audio system, music can be played without compromising the iPod’s clear sound quality
- · Owners can switch to the music menu, play songs at random and control the volume with the switches on the car’s original, factory-installed Mazda audio system
- · If the steering wheel has audio control switches, the driver can control the volume and select tunes without taking his or her hands off the wheel
- · Once connected, the iPod is stowed securely in the glove compartment where it is charged.
- · Operation must be done through the audio system, not using the iPod. Track information, such as the artist or album name is not displayed on the audio system.
- · The adapter is compatible with the iPod models with a Dock connector including the third-generation iPod or later, iPod mini and iPod nano. It is not compatible with iPod shuffle.
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I recently bought a Tribute, and had the dealer throw in an ipod connector. When I picked the car up, they told me the ipod connector cannot be fitted to the tribute. I think it is rediculous that Mazda release a statement saying they can be fitted to any model, and then I find I can’t get it. Seriously, I would have considered another car – possibly a Territory. Not happy with Mazda on this one.
seems logical now, as everyone has one
i heard theyre really popular, them and this website called google apparently?
I had this iPod adapter fitted to my Mazda6. It is a usability disaster. To be fair, the music quality thru the stereo is good. Thereafter, there is nothing good to say about this. The user interface might be barely acceptable if your iPod has a few albums on it that you know quite well. However if you have many albums, or talking books (very useful with kids on a long car trip), or anything specific you’d like to find, forget it. You don’t know what’s playing, or how to find it, because you don’t see titles on the Mazda interface and the Mazda user interface is highly non-intuitive, and they make sure you never have a clue where you are in the playlist cos they disable the screen on the iPod. The only thing that half works is random play. If I ever met the half-wit that designed this interface I’d lock him in a room without food till he fixed it.
And to add insult to injury, the owner manual does a lousy job of explaining it. Even the Mazda service ‘consultant’ was unable to navigate to a specified track.