Technology in general is progressing incredibly quickly with new innovations being rolled out faster than we can keep up with. This is particularly evident in the car world, where cars are no longer seen as modes of personal transport. The average car these days can sync to your cellphone, turn its engine off at an intersection to save fuel and activate its headlights & wipers automatically.
Higher-end vehicles usually boast a lot more tech, but to make this particular list of cool car technologies, it has to be extraordinary. Some of this technology has been invented and used by other brands, but we feel that the latest incarnations are the best applications. We’ve paired each of the cool car technologies with a video that better explains how they work.
Cool Car Technologies
1. Audi Matrix Lights
While car headlights which automatically dip to avoid blinding other road users and swivel for corners has been around for some time, it’s Audi which has nailed this tech down to perfection. Based on an LED system, Audi Matrix headlights automatically reacts to other light sources on the road and dims for other cars. The lights also expand their reach when its really dark, such as a rural area. Plus, there’s an added feature of being able to illuminate pedestrians, making them easier to avoid. We experienced these lights on the latest generation Audi TT, which you can read about here.
2. Opel’s Advanced Park Assist
While many cars on the roads today boast some form of sensor or parking assist, there are those that can in fact park themselves. We’ve tried a few systems ourselves such as the BMW 4-Series, Range Rover Autobiography and Citroen Picasso, but it’s the little Opel Adam which gets the nod because it has made this cool technology in a fairly affordable car. Watch a review of the Opel Adam here.
3. Land Rover Reverse Traffic Detection
How many times have you been reversing out of a shopping mall parking bay and have not been able to see if there are any other cars approaching? Car guards are not always present either, so what’s available? Land Rover’s Reverse Traffic Detection uses radar mounted on the rear to warn you about approaching vehicles. If the system thinks a collision is likely, it will alarm you via audio, your mirrors as well as alerts on the reverse camera screen.
4. Mercedes-Benz Distronic Plus with Steering Assist
This is the forerunner to having a completely automated driving experience and is quite surreal to experience. While some high-end cars offer a form of radar-guided cruise control, it’s Mercedes-Benz that has managed to seamlessly integrate it to a form of automatic steering. While it won’t complete a 90-degree turn for you, it does an excellent job of following the road as well as other traffic, and keeping to its lane. All you need to do is keep your hands on the wheel and you’re left wondering how long it will be before driving yourself is redundant. This technology is an option on most Mercedes-Benz products. We got to grips with it in the flagship S65 AMG Coupe.
5. Citroen AirBump
This is the only technology that’s not electronic in this list, but that doesn’t make it no less interesting. See, cars are mostly made of metal and have metallic paint and one of the downsides of this is that it scratches easily. Think of AirBump then as the automatic equivalent of bubblewrap. Those interesting panels on the door are a form of armour and are made from a flexible thermoplastic polyurethane. These soft, plastic bubbles do a fine job of withstanding shopping trolleys as well as the usual culprit: car doors. It’s simple and innovative, and in our opinion, genius. The car’s decent too, and you can find out more info about the Citroen Cactus here.
