Garmin has been on a roll lately, providing customers with quite a few interesting surprises. Thus, after announcing yesterday two GPS devices designed especially for cyclists, the company hits us today with yet another announcement, this time related to its flagship series, the nüvi, and to the launch of three new high-end models, the nüvi 750, nüvi 760 and the nüvi 770, which provide advanced navigation features, as well as numerous extra-options.

Thus, since they represent an evolution from the design of the popular 200 series, the nüvi 700 series incorporates a high-sensitivity internal GPS antenna that makes it thinner and easier to mount in a car. Moreover, turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions guide drivers to their destination, announcing streets by name along the way and, should they miss a turn, the nüvi automatically recalculates a route and gets them back on track.

Another interesting feature provided by the devices from the new series is the fact that, with a single tap of the screen, drivers can display their exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. Moreover, in order to help drivers find their car in an unfamiliar spot or crowded parking lot, the nüvis in the 700 series automatically mark the position in which they were last removed from the windshield mount.

As mentioned earlier, the PNDs also provide quite a high number of extra-features. Thus, each nüvi in the 700 series has a built-in FM transmitter, allowing users to wirelessly transmit turn-by-turn directions and street names, MP3s and audio books through their vehicle's stereo and the 760 and 770 also offer Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling when paired with compatible phones. The 760 and 770 also feature Garmin's FM traffic receiver, helping drivers avoid gridlock and adjust routes accordingly.

Like other widescreen nüvis, the 700 series boasts a bright, sunlight-readable 4.3-inch color touchscreen display (480x272 pixels). Moreover, they provide several extra-features, as for example a built-in picture viewer, calculator, currency converter, unit converter and world clock. For additional security, Garmin has included Garmin Lock, an innovative patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location.

"The 700 series allows users to truly enjoy the best of both worlds in personal navigation," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "Whether you're exploring an unfamiliar city or looking for a new restaurant in your neighborhood, this line of nüvis is the perfect combination of power and portability. And with the nüvi 760 and nüvi 770, you can locate a restaurant, find its number, call in reservations and then hide the nüvi away in a pocket or purse."

The nüvi 750, nüvi 760 and nüvi 770 will probably be available around September at an MSRP of $599.99, $799.99 and $999.99 respectively, which further confirms their "allegiance" to the high-end segment, but in the same time alienates them from most average consumers.

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