Sony Nav-U NV-U70 satnav

Sony squares up to TomTom but has the U70 found the path to victory?

Sony has given its latest satnav a minimal interface, TV styling and a bright, cartoon-like display with clear menus. The touchscreen is just 3.5-inches, but it's damn good. Routes are instantly updated, with a "next turn" icon and simple 2D or 3D views.

This simplicity extends to navigation. There's no slot for new maps - just 1GB of internal memory for 27 countries and a million points of interest. That sounds plenty but there are only a few categories, making selection awkward, and many duplicates in foreign languages.

At three minutes, it's one of the slowest satnavs to lock-on to a GPS satellite signal, but holds a signal well and ships with free TMC traffic updates. Guidance, meanwhile, is clear, with full road names given.

Despite a smallish screen and limited features, this is straightforward to use, and a real contender if you're on a budget.