Volkswagen Introduces RNS NaviLock

Nothing can be worse then coming to your car on a cold winter morning to discover it has been broken into. You have glass all over your leather seat, you're going to be late for work, but worst of all your Sat-Nav or radio is missing.

After a number of brake-ins in Europe, targeting high end GPS navigation systems, one manufacturer has decided to take action. Volkswagen came up with a so called “navigation lock” for the VW's RNS 310 and RNS 510 nav systems. Created for the two systems, the RNS Navilock is a mechanical protection with a lockable cover. The cover consists of a metal plate, sporting the same powder finish as the rest of the interior.

The lockable metal plate covers the entire navigation system, theoretically obscuring the hardware and making it more difficult to steal in the process. When owners are ready to go, they simply unlock the plate using a key. The system is initially available in the Golf VI, Golf VI Variant, Passat Limousine / Variant (VI and VII) and the Passat CC.

The price you have to pay in order to protect your beloved Sat-Nav is a bit high though, as for Passat owners the lock, including installation and VAT, costs EUR199 ($270) in most European countries. Golf owners are even less lucky, as they will pay as much as EUR219 ($290), including installation and VAT. This does not seem fair when you consider that you can get a good navigation system from TomTom or Garmin for that kind of money.