It shouldn’t come as any surprise really that new and innovative technologies are finding their way into our vehicles. We do after all live in an age dominated by smartphones, tablets and other electronical devices aimed at making our lives easier and more convenient.
Today, modern vehicles can feature all sorts of great gadgets; even on entry level trims. This could be features like DAB radio, cruise control and automatic lights, however these are relatively basic compared to some of the impressive tech you can get with certain manufacturers. To give you a clearer idea, what follows are a few examples.
Smartphone Connectivity
As you might expect, many cars now have on board systems that sync with your phones and tablets. These offer a number of features that you can then control from your phone; via Bluetooth for instance you can play music and make calls. More impressively though is that some manufacturers have and are developing apps that let you monitor your car’s performance remotely.
Added Safety Features
On top of features like automatic lights and windscreen wipers, there are other makes of car that have added automatic safety features. Some BMWs and Kias for instance have headlights that can dull and change to full beam by themselves, as they can detect oncoming cars and hazards. There’s similar tech to be found in some Volvos too, as many of their cars have sensors on the front that alert you when you’re too close to the vehicle in front.
Autonomous Driving
Looking to the future, one huge advancement currently in the development and trial stages is the creation of self-driving or ‘autonomous’ vehicles. As the name suggests these are cars that can drive themselves and theoretically could one day mean we no longer need to drive at all, we simply get in and let the car’s systems do the work for us.
What’s more, if these do become a common site on our roads, there’s also the belief that accidents will be reduced dramatically thanks to the sophisticated technologies controlling our cars.
Different Buying Habits
It’s not just about what’s in or on today’s cars either, the way they’re bought is changing too because of technology. Tyre-kicking on the forecourt isn’t as popular as it once was, with more people preferring to shop online from the comfort of their own homes.
So if you are looking to invest in a new car, it makes sense to enquire about what tech is on offer, you might be pleasantly surprised!