|
The annals of automotive history are filled with innovations that literally changed the way motorists and passengers interact with their vehicles. A labor-intensive hand crank gave way to the power-operated engine starter. A clumsy steering column-mounted shifter and clutch was supplanted by the automatic transmission. What was initially a behemoth tube-based in-car radio morphed into an in-dash unit that evolved into eight-track and cassette tape decks, compact disc players and finally smartphone connected digital infotainment centers. Of course not all automakers’ inventions have proved to be successful. Chrysler skipped a beat (literally and figuratively) with its ill-conceived dashboard mounted record player in 1956, while Chevrolet took a slide with its short-lived “liquid tire chain” option in 1969 that sprayed what surely must have been an environmentally unfriendly resin onto the rear tires to help improve their traction on ice. What were once high-end novelties, like air conditioning, power locks and windows, steering wheel-mounted controls and even Bluetooth hands-free phone interfaces have become standard equipment virtually industry wide. Amenities like heated seats and steering wheels are becoming common among cars in most classes these days, while sophisticated accident avoidance systems like forward collision, blind spot and lane departure warning systems have migrated from top-shelf luxury models down to proletariat midsize and compact sedans. That leaves automakers – particularly those at the opulent end of the spectrum – with the challenge to develop increasingly fanciful features that help their premium motor cars stand out in a crowded parking lot. How else to explain way-over-the-top accessories like the backseat champagne cooler offered in the Hyundai Equus or the roof in the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe that’s able to give the illusion of a top-down convertible on a starry night, thanks to a series of 1600 pinpoint fiber optic lights hand-sewn into the headliner. The 2014 model year brings a fresh assortment of new comfort, convenience and safety-oriented features to consumers, with some destined to be the proverbial Next Big Thing while others will likely languish as novelties. We’re featuring the most innovative of these below and in the accompanying slide show. In Pictures: The Hottest New-Car Features For 2014. As before, the most intriguing of these reside in the luxury segment, with the redesigned-for-2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class offering an amazing assortment of amenities few of us imagined we could ever live without. It may be easy to dismiss decadent frippery like heated armrests on the doors and center consoles, seats that give the automotive equivalent of a shiatsu hot stone massage and a fragrance dispenser that sends a choice of ambient scents throughout the passenger compartment, but one new feature stands out as a bona fide harbinger of the future. Also offered in the latest Mercedes E-Class, with a similar system available in the new Infiniti Q50 luxury sedan, cameras and sensors to keep an electric eye on the road ahead and can automatically make minor steering adjustments to help keep a car centered in a lane. Combined with the latest adaptive cruise control systems that can operate in stop-and-go traffic, these cars are inching one more step closer to enabling autonomous driving, at least on the highway Likewise leveraging an array of imaging devices, the latest safety systems can automatically slam on the brakes to help avoid or at least minimize the effects of both forward and reverse collisions with other vehicles and obstructions in a car’s path. Available on the S60 sedan and XC60 crossover, Volvo ups the ante for 2014 with a feature that can help prevent unfortunate encounters with those on foot and riding a bike. Aptly, but not particularly creatively, named Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection with Full Auto Brake, the system alerts the driver if a bicyclist or pedestrian suddenly appears in the vehicle’s path in city traffic, and can automatically apply the brakes if the motorist isn’t reacting quickly enough. With gas prices remaining costly, and federal fuel economy regulations ramping up in the coming years, automakers are looking to new ways to help boost their cars’ mileage without adversely affecting their performance. Already many models are borrowing the so-called stop/start system from hybrid cars that shuts down the engine while at idle to avoid a situation in which the car essentially gets zero mpg. Mazda borrows another mpg-boosting system from hybrids in the 2014 Mazda6 it calls i-ELOOP (the name is short for “intelligent energy loop”). Part of a $2,000 option package on the car’s top model, it recovers kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost via braking and stores it to power the vehicle’s electrical components – including headlights, climate control and audio system – bypassing an alternator to reduce drag on the engine and thus save a nominal amount of fuel. Some new systems are destined to find their way into mainstream models within a few years if only for their sheer convenience. For example, the new Kia Cadenza full-size sedan comes with specially treated side “hydrophobic” side windows that shed water to help preserve outward visibility in a downpour. The aforementioned Infiniti Q50 offers a so-called i-Key function that allows up to four motorists to customize a wide range of operating parameters, recognizing a user via his or her keyfob and automatically adjusting everything from seat, mirror, and climate control settings to radio presets and stored navigation destinations. And as is usually the case, a few of the oddest new-car features seem to come from the “we did it because we can do it” school of automotive engineering. As an example, the new Acura RLX luxury sedan is able to keep the brakes engaged at a stoplight or train crossing for up to 10 minutes without the driver having to keep a foot on the pedal. Handy? Perhaps, but simply shifting the transmission into neutral or park has the same effect, and with no time limit. In Pictures: The Hottest New-Car Features For 2014. Similarly, the new Jaguar F-Type sports car features door handles that remain flush with the bodywork and deploy when touched or the car is unlocked via the key fob. Once the car is driven off, the handles retract back into the doors to leave a sleek aerodynamic surface for the sake of “design purity.” What happens, we might ask, should the car become snowed or iced over and the door handles remain retracted? And then there’s one of the most buzz-worthy new features for 2014, the HondaVAC, which is a built-in vacuum cleaner that’s housed in the rear cargo area of the Honda Odyssey minivan (specifically, the $45,000 Touring Elite version). Developed in conjunction with the makers of the Shop-Vac, it comes complete with a replaceable filter, canister bag, attachments and an integrated hose that’s said to reach into every corner of the cabin. It’s able to operate continuously when the engine is running, and continue to work for up to eight minutes when the vehicle is turned off. While we acknowledge that having an integrated vacuum cleaner can be handy, especially in a family minded model like the Odyssey that’s destined to become cluttered with candy wrappers and cookie crumbs, unlike amenities like the Mercedes S-Class’ hot stone massaging seats and heated armrests, this feature can largely be duplicated – albeit not as elegantly – by a 12-volt wet-dry vacuum from Wal-Mart for under $30. Article Credit : http://www.forbes.com seo@pixionwebdesign.com
Chevrolet Houston 290
Kia Soul Sugarland
Related Articles -
Chevrolet Tahoe Sugarland, Used car Dealership Houston, Chevrolet Silverado Houston, Kia optima Hybrid Houston, Chevrolet Tahoe Houston,
| 
