PARSIPPANY, N.J. -- Avis Rent A Car System announced it will offer XM Satellite Radio, featuring 100 coast-to-coast channels of music and talk, to its customers nationwide beginning in the first quarter of 2003. Service will be available at an introductory cost of $2.99 per day.

Avis is adding up to 50,000 select General Motors vehicles with factory-installed XM radios to its fleet. Avis customers may request the XM-equipped vehicles in advance or when they arrive at Avis locations throughout the country.

"This partnership with XM Satellite Radio builds on Avis' proud tradition of introducing technology to improve our customer's rental experience," said Scott Deaver, executive vice president of marketing for Avis. "XM allows us to offer our customers an enormous variety of music -- from rock to reggae, to country to classical -- as well as extensive sports and news coverage."