The US had only the TomTom 340 S Live as a top model in the XL series until now and TomTom has decided to refresh the American's modest GPS options with one more model. The second newly introduced GPS device is the XXL 550, which might stand out from the rest of the crowd of PNDs in the States because of its larger screen dimensions.

This happens a short while after the GPS manufacturer TomTom updated the Lifetime Map and Lifetime Traffic services in the United States. These two useful services will also be available on these the new XL and XXL sat-nav gadgets announced. You should know that the TomTom XL 350 will MSRP somewhere between $169.95 and $229.95 and will come with an “average Joe” 4.3-inch resistive touchscreen. Its price will vary according to which Lifetime service users will choose for their TomTom XL 350 GSP.

The XXL 550 boasts a 5-inch touchscreen and will come with the same options regarding the Lifetime Traffic and Lifetime Map SKU. Of course, users will be able to choose both of them if they want, but it will cost extra. More exactly, the XXL 550 model will MSRP from $199.95 to $225.95. Each Lifetime update inclusion will cost the Americans an extra $30.

The TomTom US maps include Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico and more than 7 million POIs. Both new GPS models presented here come with 24/7 IQ Routes. Besides this, TomTom also has the self-explanatory Advanced Lane Guidance. The IQ Routes is the company's means of helping drivers find their way home and avoid busy traffic. The way it does this is by predicting, according to the time of the day and week, which route will be the least agglomerated, thus helping them save time. Another time saving feature of these two GPS systems is the EasyMenu, which is simplified for faster usage.

"These new products combine some of the most advanced and acclaimed TomTom features in an easy-to-use format and further deliver on our commitment to providing the most intelligent navigation products in the market," said Tom Murray, senior vice president of market development at TomTom, Inc. "With the introduction of the XL 350 and XXL 550 range, we empower our users with the accuracy of TomTom's most up-to-date maps and intelligent routing information that helps them avoid traffic delays and other hassles on the road."


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