Have you ever thought rush hour on the 405 Freeway might be more bearable if you could check your e-mail, shop for a book on Amazon, place some bids on EBay and maybe even, if nobody is looking, download a little porn?

Then perhaps you should be driving a Chrysler.

The nation's third-largest automaker is set to announce Thursday that it's making wireless Internet an option on all its 2009 models. The mobile hotspot, called UConnect Web, would be the first such technology from any automaker.

Struggling Chrysler is hoping that providing motorists access to the information superhighway will set it apart from competitors and help reverse a dismal year; through May, sales are down 19.3% compared with 2007, the worst drop-off in the industry.

FOR THE RECORD:
An article in Wednesday's Section A about Chrysler offering wireless Internet connections in new cars said users of a device by Autonet Mobile get download speeds of 600 to 800 megabits per second. In fact, the speeds are 600 to 800 kilobits per second, which is about 1,000 times slower.

"It's a notion of always wanting to be connected wherever you are," said Scott Slagle, Chrysler's senior manager of global marketing strategy, who has been testing the technology since last week, allowing his daughters to surf the Web from the back seat.

"There's a demand for that."

Coincidentally, Wi-Fi on wheels is being unveiled just days before new hands-free legislation goes into effect July 1 in California and Washington state. Those laws, designed to reduce accidents caused by driver distraction, prohibit talking on a cellular phone without a headset or other hands-free device.

Perhaps not surprisingly, safety advocates were less than overwhelmed by Chrysler's innovation.

"Surfing the Web is something people really don't have any business doing while they drive," said Jonathan Adkins, spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Assn. "It's definitely a distraction."

His and other safety groups say the only way to drive safely is without using any electronic devices, headset or no.

Chrysler says that when the car is in motion, the service is intended to be used only by passengers. The privately held company acknowledges, however, that there is no way to prevent a driver from steering with one hand and Web surfing with the other.

"We're relying on the responsibility of the consumer to follow appropriate legislation," said Keefe Leung, Chrysler's engineer for the product.

In that case, Californians tempted to Google and drive can breathe a big sigh of relief: The new laws don't proscribe use of computers or the Web, except for drivers under 18 years old. There is a different law on the books preventing the use of television screens or video screens farther forward than the rear of the front seats, but it's unclear whether that measure applies to computers browsing the Internet.

State Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), who authored the California laws, is trying to clarify that situation. He's introduced legislation prohibiting drivers from using any "mobile service device" (including computers) or text-messaging while driving.

"It's great to see technology advance," Simitian said. "But this raises a lot of concerns."

In Chrysler's defense, it's not the first company to offer Internet access in cars. Avis Rent A Car introduced Avis Connect in January 2007. Like UConnect Web, Avis Connect (which costs $10.95 a day) operates on the 3G network using a cellular-based signal.

The device used by Avis is also available through its manufacturer, Autonet Mobile, for $595 plus a $39 monthly subscription rate. Users get download speeds of 600 megabits to 800 megabits per second.

Avis spokesman John Barrows said the device, which is portable, is fairly popular but not in as much demand as GPS units.

"We emphasize that this is not for use by the driver while operating the vehicle," Barrows said.

Chrysler will formally roll out the technology Thursday at an event in Detroit spotlighting its 2009 lineup, which will appear in showrooms in September. The automaker did not disclose pricing, but said there would probably be a base charge for the option, plus a monthly or annual fee.

UConnect Web is an extension of the company's UConnect system, which provides Bluetooth connectivity for cellphones and MP3 player integration with the car stereo. Rival Ford provides similar services, but without Web access, in its popular Sync system.

With the added Internet connectivity, drivers and passengers will be able to get such devices as laptop computers and Nintendo Wii consoles online. As to what users can download while in the car, Chrysler's Leung said anything was fair game.

"There are no limitations in content," he said.

“To be honest, we don't think there is very much to be gained by adding even more gears.”

With just four models and an average customer age of 62, Chrysler brand has the Chrysler Group's thinnest lineup, lowest volume and oldest buyers.

But Chrysler has a plan to expand its offerings, boost sales and attract younger customers: a new line of vehicles, dubbed S, that arrives in the spring.

The plan aims to keep traditional customers happy with the beige leather interiors, wood accents and chrome grilles they want, and woo younger customers with different styling in the S vehicles.

"There are two paths: the traditional Chrysler path and the S path," Tim Kuniskis, head of Chrysler brand product marketing, told journalists at the Chrysler 300 media launch event in San Diego. "There's a huge customer base for chrome and wood. There are also people who want something a little edgy."

Edgy means blacked-out grilles, red leather seats with an S logo and carbon fiber in place of chrome and wood.

S doesn't stand for "sport." Chrysler already has its sporty SRT line. "Style" might be a better word for a brand that used the slogan "It's time to arrive in style" in its recent Golden Globe Awards TV spot.

Says Kuniskis: "Think of it as two kids--this one grew up in suburban Detroit and this one grew up in Huntington Beach, Calif. It's a subbrand."

"There will be dealers who won't get S at all," and others who will immediately understand the concept, Kuniskis said. The S line also will open new possibilities for Chrysler owners to customize vehicles with wheels and accessories.

Chrysler will not sell the S vehicles as upscale variants of the 300. Rather, S versions will be sold in all three trim levels of the 300: the entry level 300, the 300 Limited and the loaded 300C.

The S line will go into production this spring, probably starting with an S version of the Chrysler 200. The 300 will get the S treatment later. Chrysler hasn't decided on an S version of the Town & Country minivan.

The real test for the S strategy will be the Chrysler 300 sedan, redesigned and re-engineered for 2011.

With its 2005 introduction, the Chrysler 300 became a darling of the bling crowd. Buyers personalized their cars by adding accessories such as custom grilles and wheels.

But the buzz faded in recent years, along with sales. In 2010, the 300 was outsold by its platform twin, the Dodge Charger, by a ratio of 2-to-1: 75,397 to 37,116.

The ins and outs of S

What's in

-- Carbon fiber

-- Blacked-out grilles

-- Red leather

-- Factory-approved accessories for customizers

What's out

-- Chrome grilles

-- Beige leather

-- Traditional wood accents



Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2011...#ixzz1CgPjWkGf