2015 Nuvi Essentials Boast New Budget Features

The Garmin 2015 Nuvi Essential Series is the first budget-friendly line that supports a backup camera

Garmin announced the details of its 2015 Nuvi Essentials series at the International Consumer Electronics Show going on this week. This year’s entry-level devices include several features that have never been available to the lower-end markets before, along with other Garmin essentials like lane assist, junction view, street name, speed limit, arrival time estimates, Up Ahead (to show nearby services) and more.

The new features that normally only are available to the more expensive devices include Garmin Real Directions, which provides actual landmarks, buildings and stop lights as references for easy-to-follow directions; millions of preloaded POIs from Foursquare along with the ability to search new and popular destinations, and the most talked-about feature, support for backup cameras like the BC 30 backup camera, which is available for $169.99.

The Garmin 2015 Nuvi Essential Series also boasts Direct Access, which is yet another new feature of the Essential Series. This feature allows the Garmin to provide navigation around complex structures like malls and airports, automatically guiding drivers to the nearest entrance to the chosen destination and giving instructions where to go once inside.

The series is available in 5 or 6 inch size and both sizes are dual-orientation so that drivers can choose portrait or landscape view for their navigation. All devices come preloaded with HERE maps and other POIs, which can be searched without any kind of cell signal. The 2015 Nuvi Essential Series will range from $129.99 – $209.00 depending on the features included. Some of the devices come with lifetime traffic and lifetime maps. The 2015 Nuvi Essential series is now available through select Garmin retailers and, of course, from Garmin itself.