Quick, think of the must-have features that you would want if you walked into a car dealership to order a brand-new car today.
Air conditioning is probably pretty high on that list, as well as sat-nav and things like parking sensors or a reversing camera. These are the sorts of things that everybody knows about and everybody wants, because they make your life just that bit easier.
But what about the things you might want, but that you might not know about? Here’s a list of some of the coolest car features available today that you had no idea you wanted until now.
Volvo Driver Alert Control
We’ve all heard the stories that driving while tired is as dangerous as driving drunk, but the problem is that it’s hard to know when you’re feeling drowsy; at least you know when you’ve had a pint.
Many new Volvos now come with the option of a drowsiness detection system, which monitors your face via a rearward-facing camera, and which keeps track of your eye and head movements. If the system thinks you’re getting tired, it’ll send an alert to prompt you to pull in and have a cup of coffee to waken up.
Audi Google Earth sat-nav
As part of the Audi Connect infotainment system, you can use Google Earth through your sat-nav system to dramatically improve your navigation system’s capabilities and make your journeys a lot easier.
Imagine that instead of having a simple 2D navigation system or those annoying 3D systems that model the streets around you, you could simply look at the Google Earth system and see the road as it appears in real life, in real time.
Vauxhall OnStar
A lot of car manufacturers are now adding in-car Wi-Fi systems to their vehicles, but now virtually every new Vauxhall is starting to come with some form of its OnStar connectivity package as an option.
For a small monthly fee, drivers can connect their mobile devices to OnStar Wi-Fi, which makes keeping kids and passengers happy on long trips that bit easier. OnStar also features an emergency call-out system that’ll automatically alert emergency services to your location in the event of an accident.
BMW Brake Drying
You’ll get no prizes from us for guessing what this next gizmo does, but BMW’s Brake Drying system, which is available on cars like the 3 Series, is probably one of the bigger head-scratchers on the list.
Essentially, it works via the rain sensor that activates your automatic windscreen wipers, and when the car’s brakes start to get wet it’ll intermittently move the brake pads closer to the rotors to wick away excess water and give you optimum stopping power even in heavy rain.
Mercedes-Benz Airscarf
Right, bear with us on this one. Mercedes’ AIRSCARF feature is essentially a little vent mounted at the base of your seat’s headrest which puffs air at the back of your neck to either warm you up when it’s chilly, or to keep you cool in hot weather.
Sound a bit silly? Well, maybe it seems superfluous or the definition of first world problems, but we guarantee that if you try it for yourself, you’ll find it hard to not want one for yourself.
Nissan Easy-Fill tyre pressure alert
A standard feature on all new Nissans from 2013, the Easy-Fill system takes all of the guesswork out of filling your tyres with air. Instead of having to constantly check and re-check the pressure, the Easy-Fill system honks the car’s horn when the tyres are up to the correct pressure.
It’s a simple thing and one that you probably won’t use more than twice a year, but then as Leonardo Da Vinci said, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
HondaVAC
As well as making cars, Honda makes a whole host of amazing technologies from industrial machines to automated lawnmowers and even the cute little Asimo robot. Now, it even makes a vacuum cleaner that’s built into your car’s boot.
How much easier would your life be if, instead of having to use your household hoover to clean the car, you could simply whip out the one built into the vehicle itself to deal with spillages and dirt as they happen? The only gripe is that it’s currently available only on the Odyssey MPV, which isn’t available in the UK.
Subaru EyeSight
Essentially, Subaru’s EyeSight is a bit like Nissan’s Safety Shield; rather than being one single piece of kit, it’s more like a suite that brings with it stuff like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning systems and blind spot monitoring.
However, one of the handiest things that EyeSight has is that it beeps to remind you when traffic starts moving again. That means you can sit in a traffic jam or at a set of lights and check if the kids are alright without having to look over your shoulder every five seconds to make sure the light hasn’t turned green.
