Avis is believed to be the first rental car company to offer navigation devices that are portable and can be installed in seconds in nearly any rental vehicle covering any price range.

Known as PowerNAV, the DVD based satellite navigation system will be available for a nominal daily charge of $6.95 to customers upon request at the international airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, New York, (John F. Kennedy) and Palm Beach.

“Avis’ introduction of Alpine’s PowerNAV now brings the most advanced satellite navigation system to a potentially wide range of customer,” said Ronald Masini, Avis vice president of research and product development. “For the first time in our industry, renters needing navigational assistance are not limited to certain vehicles, since the device can be installed in virtually all of them. With this new system, Avis continues to focus on the safety and security of customers.”

A driver can quickly mount the PowerNAV monitor with its digital map display on the dashboard of the car by securing a small clip to one of the air vents. Then the driver enters his or her destination and the PowerNAV does the rest, seamlessly guiding the driver by using turn-by-turn voice directions complimented with an LCD video screen. There is no need for drivers to take their eyes off the road to watch the map. They merely listen to the voice commands.

As a result, there are no more stressful moments worrying about how to get around in an unfamiliar location. The PowerNAV unit incorporates the Navigation Technologies (NavTech®) map database and the Info USA® points of interest/business information database for state-of-the-art precision and detail. With mapping detail of the contiguous United States, PowerNAV does not need to be reprogrammed if a driver travels from one region to another.

“Alpine is pleased to have been selected as the navigation supplier to Avis. With the Alpine DVD PowerNAV, Avis customers will benefit greatly from the timesaving and safety that in-vehicle navigation delivers. Avis customers now have low cost access to the most advanced, user-friendly navigation system in North America,” said Stephen Witt, vice president of brand marketing and communications.

The navigational system test is yet another example of Avis’ technological leadership in the rental car industry. Avis has been a leader in using OnStar, the security and assistance system developed by General Motors, in thousands of its rental vehicles, and uses Avis InterActive, the industry leading, Web-based fleet management tool to help its corporate customers track rental vehicle usage and trends.

Avis Rent A Car System, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate the world’s second largest general-use car rental business, providing business and leisure customers with a wide range of services at more than 1,650 locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Latin/American Caribbean region. Avis is recognized as the industry leader in applying new technologies to grow its business and is one of the world’s top brands for customer loyalty. In April 2001, Avis tied for first place in customer satisfaction for business travelers in the J. D. Power and Associates survey of car rental companies. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD), a diversified global provider of business and consumer services primarily within the real estate and travel sectors.

Alpine Electronics is one of the world’s leading mobile electronics companies. Alpine is the only manufacturer specializing in mobile multimedia, an integrated system approach incorporating digital entertainment, mobile video, security and navigation products for the mobile environment. With research and development facilities in Asia, Europe and the United States, Alpine is the global leader for in-vehicle navigation systems in Japan, North America and Europe for the after-market and for OEM factory installations. Alpine Electronics is a consolidated subsidiary of Alps Electric Co., Ltd., one of the world’s premier manufacturers of electronic components for computer, communications and car electronics equipment. Visit Alpine on the Web at www.alpine1.com to experience mobile multimedia excellence or to find the closest dealer.