The luxury carmakers of the world are always locked in a battle to develop and integrate new technologies in their cars. These new gadgets are designed to make journeying by car a lot safer, more comfortable and increasingly convenient. Over time, the technology often trickles down the ranks and is offered as an option on everyday cars. Given enough time, the technology then becomes a standard feature on every car available. Can you imagine buying a car that does not come equipped with seatbelts? Once considered a luxury and available only on select models, car belts eventually became a mandatory feature for every new model. With the competition between car makers heating up, the time it takes for a new technology to become an industry standard has gone down drastically. Here are 3 technological wonders that will soon come as standards in car models for the common man:
GPS Unit
The in-car GPS system has been around for some time, but has managed to elude becoming a standard feature in every car. Part of the reason why manufacturers never bothered to install their own GPS units is that there are a number of GPS unites available in the market for very low prices. In addition, GPS companies already had the infrastructure ready to provide thorough GPS navigation services. However, car makers realized that people hated putting up GPS units in their car since it ended up ruining the aesthetics of the car and made it a target for criminals. Luxury car makers offer GPS as standard on their models. Other car makers also offer GPS units that seamlessly integrate into the dashboard of their various models. With the fine line between GPS unit and entertainment center diminishing by the year, we can soon expect to find GPS units as a standard feature on all cars.
Autonomous Cruise Control
Whereas the GPS unit is merely a device of convenience, autonomic cruise control promises to combine convenience and passenger safety. Cruise control has become a standard feature in almost every production car out there. However, the next generation of radar-guided cruise control is already snapping at its heels. Autonomic cruise control (ACC) systems are standard on luxury cars and are available as options on mid-sized and executive saloons. Unlike GPS units or the existing cruise control system, ACC is not just about convenience; it has potential safety benefits as well. As a result, it won't be surprising to find it as standard equipment on all cars very soon.
Automatic Parking Systems
No matter how good a driver you are, parking is still a hassle, especially parallel parking. It is not uncommon to find frustrated drivers who take longer to parallel-park their car than to actually get to their destination. Automatic parking systems have been in development since it first featured on a Ligier in the mid-90s. The technology took very little time to migrate from the realm of engineering fantasy to a viable option that could easily be integrated into modern cars. Once Toyota's IPAS made it into the Lexus LS series of vehicles, every car manufacturer out there went all out to develop their own park-assist system. The inclusion of Active Park Assist in the Ford Focus, a family hatchback, shows that won't be too long before every car is fit with an automatic parking system.
Car makers will always develop new technology in a bid to outdo each other. Some of these technologies and gadgets will work out, while others won't. The one thing that is guaranteed is that the new technologies that do work will one day be available as standard equipment in all cars.
No matter how good a driver you are, parking is still a hassle, especially parallel parking. It is not uncommon to find frustrated drivers who take longer to parallel-park their car than to actually get to their destination. Automatic parking systems have been in development since it first featured on a Ligier in the mid-90s. The technology took very little time to migrate from the realm of engineering fantasy to a viable option that could easily be integrated into modern cars. Once Toyota's IPAS made it into the Lexus LS series of vehicles, every car manufacturer out there went all out to develop their own park-assist system. The inclusion of Active Park Assist in the Ford Focus, a family hatchback, shows that won't be too long before every car is fit with an automatic parking system.
Car makers will always develop new technology in a bid to outdo each other. Some of these technologies and gadgets will work out, while others won't. The one thing that is guaranteed is that the new technologies that do work will one day be available as standard equipment in all cars.
