From Whatcar.com 15 May 2012

Volkswagen introduces standard DAB radio

Volkswagen introduces standard DAB radio…

For every model from Polo to Phaeton

Available to order now

All 2013 model-year VWs – apart from the Up – now come with DAB radio as standard. It was previously standard on Golf Match, CC and Touareg models, and a £185 option for other models.

The updated audio systems will still be able to pick up conventional FM and AM radio signals.

The 2013 model-year Volkswagen range is available to order now.

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After review of the options available in the new car market for a larger saloon, the Superb stands out as a great car which is let down by the lack of a larger engine (specifically the Audi 3.0 TDI unit,) odd colour limitations on the L&K models and no DAB radio - VW are rubbing it in with the announcment above.

Sad to say, I am not going to buy a Skoda but spend a great deal more money to meet all of my requirements. So, goodbye Skoda Forum and thank you for your insight and wisdom. I leave you all with the call to arms against VW for trying to neutralise your brand - long live Skoda.

DAB is useless anyway

Not in my car it's not.

If DAB is usless in my kitchen, I'm not going to loose sleep about it not being in my car.

If DAB is usless in my kitchen, I'm not going to loose sleep about it not being in my car.

*If* it's useless? Are you not sure then?

Could you just order a dab radio from vw and pay 185 pounds, I am sure they will be on Ebay in 6 months

Easy on the panic button.

Since VW Passat and Skoda Superb has the same GPS unit (RNS 510), i would suspect it will find it's way to Skoda at about roughly the same time.

The RCDs have been available as options in the Golf and Passat since 2010 (or possibly 09) and haven't made it over yet, so perhaps not. It seems they're only just becoming standard on the VWs. I doubt you could walk into a dealer and walk out with one for £185 - a new Bolero is £800 from a dealer.

It is useless, takes several minutes to find a station. Then it is fine, unless you walk past it. At this point it goes off to find the station again.

My home stereo has DAB, complete with external aerial and everything. I can't put up with the poor sound quality and breaks in transmission, so I've gone back to FM - no static at all (that's a Steely Dan reference, for those of you too young to remember).

Exactly my point - with FM if you've not got 100% reception then it's still listenable, with DAB you get nothing!

I've had DAB in my Vectra as standard since Oct '06 and it's been brilliant (Blaupunkt I think). Very few places without reception and very few drop-outs or blind spots, but I must admit not venturing to more remote places (Cornwall, South Wales are ok though). I wanted DAB in my new car (coming next week) but had to wait too long for Skoda to sort out so will try internet radio instead for digital stations. I'll try the AM band for 5 Live when I get it but I don't have great expectations.

The advantage VW have over Skoda in their marketing is that the RNS510 (Columbus) is not standard in any (Passat) model, therefore VW can advertise DAB as standard and anyone wanting to trade up to the RNS510 does so by choice and with the knowledge that there's no DAB. This is why Skoda can offer DAB in some other EU countries (perhaps Norway I have heard) with the Amundsen+ unit as there too the Columbus is an option. Skoda have to offer DAB in their most expensive models at least at the same same as the base model, if not before. Businesses cannot afford to alienate their 'best' customers.

I had DAB in my Insignia Elite lst year and I though it was excellent. Would have loved to have had iton my new car but wil just have to waituntill some after market kit that functions with Columbus is available.

I had DAB in my Insignia Elite lst year and I though it was excellent. Would have loved to have had iton my new car but wil just have to waituntill some after market kit that functions with Columbus is available.

Keep an eye on this website. I emailed them some time ago and they said they were working on a unit for the Columbus but couldn't give any dates.

http://www.autodab.com/

Exactly, I have a dab radio at home but always use fm as the dab signal is just so dire.

Sent from my MZ601 using Tapatalk 2

I have a DAB radio in the garage and it works just fine.

If I´m not mistaken, in Finland there is no digital radio broadcasting at all, in Sweden there is some. So I would say that here it is quite useless.....

When it works it's great, but you need a good aerial. For the house I have an aerial in the loft and it's fab.

On one of my cars it has a roof mounted rod designed for AM and FM only. I bought an adaptor and it works quite well, only losing signal a couple of times on my way to work, in places that FM is a bit ropey anyway. On my other it has a screen moiunted antenna. When hung from the sunvisor it worked OK, but now stuck to a sidescreen its rubbish. I'm hoping a proper DAB antenna is going to improve that.

Last year I had a golf with DAB included in the RCDwhatever that came as standard. Never had any performance problems, always had perfect signal for me. So I suspect that aftermarket installations will always be wanting, but when it's implemented by the manufacturer like the golf was, it should be fine.

I've posted in the ICE section, because I found a DAB adaptor that should work with Columbus and keep the OE look. It plugs into the video input channel so you use the 'TV' picture to display the settings and a litlle remote control to adjust it. Audio comes through the audio inputs for the TV.  I haven't tried this but someone else said they were quite good, and around the £100 mark where I found it. May well be a purchase for me once I have the car in a few weeks!

Keep an eye on this website. I emailed them some time ago and they said they were working on a unit for the Columbus but couldn't give any dates.

http://www.autodab.com/

Auto Express did a write up a little while ago but it was not compatible with with the latest Columbus so it will be interesting to see what happens.