XM Lands Car Deals with Lexus, Hyundai

Yesterday it was Infiniti, and today XM Satellite Radio has announced deals which put its receivers in selected Lexus and (yes) Hyundai vehicles.

Sure, the news yesterday was that XM satellite radio receivers will be installed as factory-standard gear in 2008 Infiniti automobiles; today, XM Satellite Radio has announced deals which will put its receivers in selected Lexus and (yes) Hyundai models.

The deal with Hyundai is actually an expansion of an existing deal: XM receivers are already standard on the auto-maker’s Azera, Elantra, Santa Fe, and Sonata models. The new announcement will add XM radio as a factory-installed standard feature on two new models, Hyundai’s Veracruz "crossover" vehicle and an as-yet-unnamed premium sports sedan.

"Hyundai was the first automotive brand to announce plans to make XM Radio standard across the board," said Steve Cook, XM’s executive VP for Automotive, in a statement. "The addition of XM’s coast-to-coast programming is another feature to remind Hyundai buyers that they are enjoying one of the best new car values on the market today. By the end of 2007, all Hyundai factory audio systems will feature XM’s 170-plus channels of commercial-free music, news, sports, talk, and entertainment."

Hyundai is currently showing off a concept of its future sports sedan at the New York International Auto Show. As usual, all Hyundai models with XM receivers installed as factory defaults will come with a three-month trial XM subscription; after that, customers will get to pay a monthly fee to use their "factory standard" equipment.

XM’s deal with Lexus puts XM Radio and XM NavTraffic capability into the new Lexus LX 570 "luxury utility" vehicle as factory-standard gear. Again, this is an expansion of an existing relationship: XM receivers are already factory-default gear in the LS 460 sedan and (later this year) on the LS 600h luxury hybrid sedan. As with other deals, buyers will get a free 90-day trial subscription to XM services; after that, customers will have to pay a subscription fee to continue using the receiver.