Hey Guys,

I'm new the to the forms and I'm thinking about purchasing a 2011 tC. I would be purchasing it in Canada and I was wondering how I could go about getting the Apline Navigation upgrade on the normal Alpine Head Unit. It says right on the head unit that it is navigation ready but it isn't offered as an option in Canada. I asked the Scion representative about this, and he said that he believed it was a legal issue. I am not so inclined to believe this because I've never heard of a car not being able to have a GPS system. If I purchased the Alpine navigation upgrade from TRDSparks, will it work with the Alpine head that is in Canada? Has anyone here done it yet? Or would you recomend just ignoring the Alpine all together and getting another aftermarket GPS system.

Please Advise,
Duncan

 

There is also the pioneer navigation unit called the sns200 that you can add on.
But to answer you question, you can get the unit from trdsparks and add it to the alpine radio, yes.

 

Does it have Canadian maps though?

 

yes... why? are you assuming someone from the US will never drive to Canada in thier tC...

 

Most people won't ever drive to Canada in their tCs, yes, but that's not why I'm asking.

If you look at Garmin, for example, they don't include the entire US and Canada on their GPS units by default. I don't know about other factory or aftermarket GPS units but it's not a given to have full coverage.

 

"The NVE-M300 has pre-loaded maps of the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Looking for a restaurant, hotel, or movie theater? Select from over 6 million Points of Interest (POIs), aka places that are either near you, near your destination, along your route, or near a city center. There are 37 Place categories to choose from including ATMs, Banks, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Hotels, Parking Lots, Restaurants, and more."

from here: http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/nve-m300/

edit: The NVE-M300 is not the correct model number of the one used for the Alpine Radio, but all of the Alpine units have the same description on them.

 

Sorry that I haven't responded yet, I wanted to double check some things before I jumped in...

First off, there is no "legal" issue with offering the Alpine Navigation extension. The decision to not offer it in Canada was based on a number of factors. At the time that we were planning accessories for all three Scion vehicles, we determined that there was not enough of a business case to support offering the Alpine Navigation based on predicted sales volume, price point and cost to create a bilingual owner's manual for it. In addition to that, there was another option for an audio grade that we had been pursuing that would have eliminated the need for an "add-on" navigation system for the Alpine head unit. Unfortunately this third system has since been pulled off the table...

Furthermore, we have not tested the Alpine Navigation in a Canadian-spec vehicle. Without knowing specifically where the navigation "box" is installed behind the dash (we have had issues with clearance around DRL relays, etc.), and how it might interact (or interfere?) with the standard BluLogic bluetooth system, I cannot definitively say that it will or will not work in your vehicle.

As WellesleyScion mentioned, it will have Canadian mapping, however we have not verified that the mapping is up-to-date, accurate or detailed enough to offer in the Canadian market.

I hope I have been able to answer your questions. If not, feel free to PM me where we can discuss further.

Cheers,

Colin @ Scion Canada

 

Hey,

Thanks for the input on the GPS unit, I'm not sure if I'll get it yet, I've talked to the dealer more and confirmed that it wasn't a legal thing, but is infact, as Colin said a numbers thing, I'll have to see the return policy on the navigation upgrade. If I do end up installing it I'll be sure to let you know if it works in Canada and in the Canadain spec cars.