Labs

Acer's latest navigation device boasts a bright 4in widescreen TFT and includes a TMC module in the box. This means you can get live traffic updates without paying any subscription charges, since the information comes direct from the RDS portion of FM radio.

It isn't the neatest solution; you have to connect the TMC in-line with the power cable, and then attach the aerial to a window using two suction mounts. However, guidance is easy to follow, thanks to the inclusion of CoPilot Live 6 Premium. The route is highlighted clearly on the 3D map, and distracting information is kept to a minimum.

You can choose when to be warned of approaching turns, and you can set preferences for the types of road you like or dislike.

ADVERTISEMENT

Safety camera locations are included, and there are plenty of POI categories. Usefully, you can choose to only warn of POIs on the route, ignoring nearby ones. However, it's annoying that, each time you approach a POI, the software asks whether you want to add it as a stop or ignore it.

When entering addresses, there's no QWERTY keyboard layout, but you can enter full seven-digit UK postcodes. Disappointingly, some postcodes we searched for were missing. It was also a pain not being able to edit the route to avoid specific roads or areas. Our other gripe was that the P660 was slow to respond to screen taps, even if it was fast at calculating routes. However, the biggest limitation is the lack of a pre-trip planning mode. You can't enter a "travel from" location, which means you can't see how far or how long a trip will take until you get a GPS fix at the place you want to depart from.

Street-level maps for the UK and Ireland are included, but only the major roads of Europe. Don't let a satnav with major roads of anywhere persuade you, since it's the smaller roads you're likely to be driving to, and where you'll most need guidance.

In the box, you'll find a carry pouch and a mains adapter, which help to justify the price, but the CoPilot software puts the Acer out of the running.