ViaMichelin X-970T Review

This impressive bit of kit falls in the same price range as the RAC 200 and the TomTom ONE, but this has all the features of the fancier, pricier models. The downside, and of course there always is one, is that the navigation aspect of the device lets it down in many ways. So if you actually want to know where you are or where you have been, is this really the unit for you?

For nearly 120 years Michelin has serviced the motor industry both directly through the manufacture of tires and indirectly through their restaurant guide. Perhaps the niche of the sat nav market was too hard to pass up, but it also seems as if a little is lost in translation in the navigation department.

The GPS receiver uses SiRF star III technology, and the software is their own ViaMichelin Navigation 7. Route planning can be done from the comfort of your own home and synchronized via your USB or Bluetooth connection. The name of Michelin is synonymous with traveling - taking to the open road, so it is not surprising that their website offers many updates and downloads to the POI (Point of Interest) database - just cruising through all your travel options is enough to want to get you on your way.

ViaMichelin advertise their new model as being a multi-purpose navigation device that offers everything - an integrated MP3 player, Bluetooth technology and a speaker incorporated in the base for improved sound quality.

There are many personal preferences that can be programmed in such as setting the unit to the "Follow my position" mode which will navigate and tell you where you are without the need to put in a destination - nice for a Sunday drive through the countryside. You can select 3 route types - shortest, quickest or ViaMichelin recommended. This last mode focuses on the comfort, safety and simplicity of the whole route. There is even an Avoid Tolls option which is useful when traveling in Europe.

Additional information provided includes free real-time traffic updates for 13 European countries and real-time five day weather forecasts. There are also a number of safety features incorporated which include audio and visual alerts for speed cameras, dangerous bends and take-a-break reminders.

As with similar priced models, the screen is 3.5 inches and with touchscreen functionality, and the whole package only weighs 155 grams which makes it one of the smallest and neatest packages around, especially with all its additional features.

The menu screen is intended to be intuitive and interactive, but with so many options available it is easy to get lost within the levels and ultimately become lost on the road. With today's lifestyle, more travel is done for business than pleasure and if you are trying to get to an important meeting rather than a four star restaurant, you would be well advised to invest in a more reliable unit without the bells and whistles you can easily do without.