Piece Of The Pie Gets Smaller

Posted this on Car Sound figured I would post here as well for those who aren't on both. Well this isn't exactly news but I figured I would post it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. Obviously like everything else it's only a matter of time until the factory catches up.. Any comments???

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2004 Chevrolet Malibu

TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHT Aftermarket remote starters have been popular for some time, but Chevy will offer the first such factory system in the U.S. on the new Malibu. A separate button on the radio-wave key fob starts the engine from as far away as 200 feet after verifying that the hood is closed and the transmission is in park. The benefit of the factory system is that it can tap into the vehicle’s electrical system to turn on the heater and seat heaters and to monitor all vital engine data. To drive off, the key must be inserted in the ignition to unlock the column and shifter and prevent theft. The engine shuts off after 10 minutes if the car isn’t driven away. GM engineers assert that a remote start and idling warm-up does not adversely affect engine wear or life and that total warm-up emissions are less than those of a rolling warm-up.

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sounds like a run of the mill starter, most remote starters out there have those same features, but the range is far superior, for instance my astrostart hase 1600' range. i wonder how much that option will be worth on the sticker price?

I won't get my panties in a bunch until they start introducing RS systems with comparable range to aftermarket units & also 2 way systems as factory options. Thanks for the update though, I only heard that Ford did it a couple of years ago and that OEM price was $ 700 for us here in Canada.

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Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA