2 days ago
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As the saying goes – trends make a full loop every 20 years. In Australia it's more like 30 years, but that's the philosophy that Pioneer is following with its new product, a modern-day head unit dressed in retro clothing.
It's no secret that there has been an increasing desire for old-school things – not just the cars themselves skyrocketing in value but accessories too. The usual culprits are wheels, shift knobs and steering wheels, but strangely enough, there has been a resurgence in retro car audio.
In a previous Drive story, we covered a strange phenomenon where people prefer physical buttons to touch instead of navigating through a touchscreen, given that it has become an increasingly popular choice for OEM manufacturers – such as Tesla, with its gear selector on the touchscreen.
But the average consumer had their say on our story, with many stating they prefer the feeling of hitting a physical button.
"Give me easily identifiable knobs and buttons any day. I find touchscreens distracting and therefore dangerous and fiddly to use, particularly on bumpy roads," wrote one Drive reader.
"I want to sit in a cockpit. Not a computer simulation. Interior car design got lazy. I want to feel a sense of something special while sitting in the car. Touchscreens are dull and distracting," said another.
Well, some could say that Pioneer is pioneering the resurgence of old-school cool.
The German brand recently unveiled its latest creation – the SXT-C10PS – a single-DIN head unit that looks straight out of the '90s but features a plethora of new-timey features like DAB+ digital radio, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, and AUX capabilities.
All the modern-day tech, such as AUX and USB ports, is actually hidden behind a fake tape deck flap, further enhancing that retro appeal.
Girish Janday, Marketing Manager at Pioneer Europe NV, stated that it presents an opportunity to cater to a diverse range of customers in the growing retro market.
"The classic car market continues to grow, driven by nostalgia and investment opportunities. With an annual growth rate of approximately 7.5 per cent annually, the number of historic vehicles has reached new heights. As restoration trends rise and original OEM parts become harder to source, vehicle owners turn to familiar brands for solutions."
This cool new head unit comes at a pretty penny, it's available for pre-order in Europe for a whopping €399 ($AUD700). There has been no confirmation if it will make its way Down Under, and we have contacted the local distributor for comment.
If you don't want to wait for one of these to arrive in Australia, another popular German company, Blaupunkt, has been producing a similar line of retro-inspired head units.
They offer a range of products that cater to the German '90s vibe, featuring the same equipment as the SXT-C10PS, including a micro-SD card slot to preload your tunes and a faux cassette deck slot to conceal the ports.
Along with the Blaupunkt range, Becker offers a custom order period-correct head unit that allows customers to select if they want Bluetooth, DAB, AUX, USB or all of the above starting at $595.
While Porsche sells a period-correct single-DIN solution for 911, 993, 924, 928, 944 and 964 that actually has a 3.5-in touchscreen with Apple CarPlay support and fits into the factory slot. It's not cheap, however, as pricing starts at $2603.
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
