PRESS RELEASE:Lincoln to Offer SIRIUS Satellite Radio as Standard Equipment
- Starting with the 2008 model year, SIRIUS Radio to be standard Lincoln MKZ, Lincoln MKX, Lincoln Navigator, Lincoln Navigator L and Lincoln Mark LT. - A six-month pre-paid subscription to SIRIUS is included with each vehicle. - SIRIUS to be factory installed on 23 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle lines by 2008 model year.
NEW YORK, April 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) and SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) today announced that Lincoln will provide its customers standard factory-installed satellite radio on the Lincoln MKZ, Lincoln MKX, Lincoln Navigator, Lincoln Navigator L and Lincoln Mark LT beginning with the 2008 model year.
Sirius Satellite Radio today is offered on 22 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Vehicles as a factory-installed option. It will be available on the 2008 Ford Focus later this year, bringing the total to 23. The Lincoln lineup will be the first to include the equipment as standard.
"Every day, SIRIUS Satellite Radio is becoming more popular with our Ford and Lincoln Mercury customers because it allows them to personalize their driving experience," said Cisco Codina, Ford group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales and Service. "Its growing popularity is part of a broader trend in the auto industry with customers increasingly asking us to pioneer technologies that put them in control of their driving environment."
Nearly 600,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles have already been shipped with factory installed SIRIUS satellite radios. Those numbers are expected to more than double in 2007.
"We are excited about the growth and success of SIRIUS at Ford, and the positive response we've received from both dealers and customers," said Mel Karmazin, CEO, SIRIUS. "SIRIUS' programming continues to enhance the Ford driving experience and we are proud that the Lincoln brand regards us as an important addition to provide all their customers."
For 80 years, the Lincoln brand has been synonymous with luxury, comfort and design. Both news media and the industry at-large voted the 2007 Lincoln MKZ as "Best Premium-Priced Car Interior of the Year" at the 7th annual Automotive "Interior of the Year" awards conducted by Ward's AutoWorld magazine. Lincoln will continue to strengthen this position with SIRIUS as standard equipment.
Lincoln models with SIRIUS radios arrive at the dealership ready to operate with a six-month pre-paid subscription included. This allows the dealer to conduct an in-vehicle demonstration of the SIRIUS service so the customer can immediately begin enjoying their satellite radio service.
About SIRIUS
SIRIUS, "The Best Radio on Radio," delivers more than 130 channels of the best programming in all of radio. SIRIUS is the original and only home of 100% commercial free music channels in satellite radio, offering 69 music channels. SIRIUS also delivers 65 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather and data. SIRIUS is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, NASCAR, NBA and NHL, and broadcasts live play-by- play games of the NFL, NBA and NHL, as well as live NASCAR races. All SIRIUS programming is available for a monthly subscription fee of only $12.95.
SIRIUS Internet Radio (SIR) is a CD-quality, Internet-only version of the SIRIUS radio service, without the use of a radio, for the monthly subscription fee of $12.95. SIR delivers more than 75 channels of talk, entertainment, sports, and 100% commercial free music. SIRIUS products for the car, truck, home, RV and boat are available in more than 25,000 retail locations, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, RadioShack and at shop.sirius.com. SIRIUS radios are offered in vehicles from Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep(R), Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercury, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Rolls Royce, Scion, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Hertz also offers SIRIUS in its rental cars at major locations around the country.
Click on www.sirius.com to listen to SIRIUS live, or to purchase a SIRIUS radio and subscription.
Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance with respect to SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and, accordingly, such statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the key factors that have a direct bearing on our operational results are: our dependence upon third parties, including manufacturers of SIRIUS radios, retailers, automakers and programming providers, our competitive position and any events which affect the useful life of our satellites.
