With automotive technology evolving at a rapid pace, here’s a cheat sheet for car shoppers that previews the hottest gadgetry of the year
By Jim Gorzelany
CTW Features
It’s no exaggeration to suggest that today’s cars pack more in the way of advanced electronics than NASA originally employed to send astronauts to the moon. Computers, cameras, sensors, touchscreens and advanced interfaces already enhance a vehicle’s performance and safety, provide occupants with advanced infotainment features and even enable some models to park themselves.
What’s next? Here’s a look at an impressive array of gizmos and gadgets debuting on 2016 cars and crossovers that introduces motorists to the next level of technology.
- Hands-Free Driving. Nudging ever closer to the fully autonomous car, the 2016 BMW 7 Series sedan’s available self-steering system can automatically help keep the car centered within a highway lane at seeds up to 130 mph and will prevent the driver from changing lanes if there’s another vehicle in his or her blind spot. Meanwhile, the new Autopilot system for the Tesla Model S electric sedan can automatically keep the vehicle centered within a lane, manage its speed via traffic-aware cruise control and change lanes automatically at the tap of the turn signal indicator.
- Cameras Everywhere. Backup video displays are common on new cars these days, but the LaneWatch system on the 2016 Honda CR-V and HR-V crossovers and the Accord coupe and sedan provides a video view of the passenger’s side of the road whenever the right turn signal is engaged to help the driver spot pedestrians, bicyclists and other vehicles. Meanwhile the new Cadillac CT6 sedan offers a streaming-video rearview mirror that gives drivers an unobstructed view behind the vehicle and is claimed to improve the rearward field of vision by 300 percent. What’s more, the 2016 Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CTS-V offer an onboard Performance Data Recorder that allows owners to record high-definition video of their driving exploits (or epic fails), with full data overlays, and share them with friends on social media.
- Open Sesame. Select 2016 Hyundai models offer a passive “smart” tailgate or trunk that enables an owner to activate a power opening feature by simply standing for a few seconds at the rear of the vehicle with the key in his or her pocket or purse.
- Watchful Eye. Redesigned for 2016, the Chevrolet Malibu offers a Teen Driver feature that lets parents monitor their kids’ driving via an onscreen data report; it also mutes the audio system if front-seat occupants aren’t wearing their seat belts, warns the driver when the vehicle is exceeding a preset speed and prevents a young motorist from switching off key safety features.
- That’s Infotainment. Newly offered on various 2016 models are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity systems that replicate the devices’ interfaces on the vehicle’s display screen, bypassing a car’s media control system altogether. Riders can make calls, send and receive messages, listen to music and access select apps.
Perhaps appropriate for one of the least expensive 2016 models, the tiny Smart ForTwo eschews a screen of its own and instead enables Apple and Android owners to attach their phones to the dashboard via an adjustable cradle and use the phone’s display to control audio streaming, access navigation functions, display car and trip information and even help find open parking spaces.
- Giving the Finger. The advanced infotainment system in the 2016 BMW 7 Series can be controlled by touch-free hand gestures. For example, a driver can rotate an index finger to adjust audio volume, or can point a finger toward the screen to answer an incoming call or wave to the right to dismiss it.
© CTW Features