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Gosh bless the automotive trickledown; it’s already brought treats like telescoping steering wheels to entry-level vehicles, and now computer-to-car driving directions appear to be on the way.

This feature made its first widespread appearance in BMWs; owners throughout Europe are able to use Google Maps in the comfort of their homes or offices and simply send directions to their navigation systems when it’s time to go.  Mercedes made a similar move that involved both Yahoo Maps and Google Maps.

Now we’re reaching the masses, though - those who couldn’t afford a BMW or Mercedes or simply chose something else (and “something else” is, in all reality, likely to be sexier and/or more reliable).  The one catch here is that the new deal only involves the TomTom brand of navigation systems.

And Google - Yahoo fans will have to either ignore this innovation or adapt.  Still, TomTom is a pretty major player in this field, and Google is, well, Google.  The (free) feature’s ease of use adds even more value to the equation; a demo video proves that just about anyone who can type and click should be able to operate it.

Keep an eye out for Garmin, another company that specializes in nav systems, to follow TomTom’s lead.  Also, this development will increase the pressure on automakers to come up with their own out-of-the-factory solutions.