Vehicles are becoming much more advanced, and those features that seemed futuristic five years ago don’t seem so any longer. New car features make driving easier and better.
What are the goals of these new features? The first and most important goal is to reduce vehicular accidents and help you remain safer and more secure while driving. As automakers work toward autonomous technology, features that provide additional safety and security while driving have become much more advanced than ever before. The most innovative trends emphasize your safety but can also improve convenience and comfort. Here are just a few of the new car features you might find in your next ride.
Self-driving technology – almost
Ever since the first horseless buggy hit the rutted dirt roads, people have been obsessed with being able to drive without driving. While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, the idea of self-driving technology dates back to the 1920s, which means it’s been more than 100 years and cars still can’t drive themselves. That said, technology like Tesla’s Autopilot, GM’s Super Cruise, and Ford’s BlueCruise brings us much closer to driving without driving than ever before.
Lane keeping matters
Modern drivers have more distractions while behind the wheel than any other generation of driver before them, from the electronic alerts that could pop up to kids in the car making noise, it’s easy to become distracted. Many automakers have added important new car features, such as lane-keeping technology. This means your vehicle uses sensors and cameras to monitor the car’s position in the lane and alert you to necessary adjustments. If you don’t make an adjustment, the car will do it for you, which helps keep you safely in your lane.
Biometric car keys
Soon, you might not need key fobs to unlock or start your car. Your car could be programmed to only operate when you use your fingerprint, facial ID, or other biometric feature to unlock its features or capabilities. By simply touching the handle of the 2025 Genesis GV60, you can activate the door-mounted camera, which scans your face. If your facial ID matches the vehicle’s information, the door will open and you can start the vehicle using nothing more than your fingerprint.
Heated seats
Heated seats aren’t new, but the way they operate makes them one of the most enjoyable new car features you can have in your vehicle. Vehicles have had heated seats for decades, but today’s models are more sensitive than before and often operate using in-car technology. These seats are meant to help you have a warm place to sit on cold days. The technology used for heated seats has led to cooled/ventilated seats and massaging functions in some vehicles. While not the most futuristic item on the list, warm seats are important.
EV battery technology
Electric vehicles seem to be the future of driving, and the driving range you can get from your EV matters. It still takes much longer to recharge an EV’s batteries than refiling a gas tank, but that time has been reduced significantly with the addition of fast-charging public stations and advanced EV battery technology. Many EVs also offer different battery packs that provide various driving ranges. An example of this is the 2026 Kia EV4, which can have a 300+ mile range or up to 250 miles with the smaller battery pack.
Adaptive cruise control
Cruise control isn’t new, but the adaptive version is much more modern. As one of the best new car features you can get, this type of cruise control is becoming better and more useful. This system uses cameras and sensors to adjust your vehicle’s speed to maintain a safe following distance from the car in front of you. Older versions of cruise control only set the speed and had no sensors to monitor the distance, making it possible to rear-end cars in front of you if you weren’t paying attention.
Emergency braking
Modern driver assistance systems include at least forward emergency braking to bring your car to a stop if the vehicle ahead begins to slow or comes to a sudden stop. This is part of the technology designed to reduce the number of vehicular accidents, ensuring you have a greater chance of surviving or avoiding an accident. Using cameras and sensors, your vehicle can apply the brakes, after giving you a warning to do so, and help you stay safer on the road.
Predictive maintenance powered by AI
Some vehicles have provided alerts as maintenance reminders for several years, but one of the most advanced new car features is predictive maintenance powered by AI. This system analyzes a range of data to determine if or when future problems could occur. It can predict when car parts will fail and alert you beforehand, making it easier to address problems before your car breaks down and leaves you on the side of the road. This could mean solving a problem before it happens.
360-degree cameras
Rear-view cameras are standard in every new vehicle, but one of the most advanced features you’ll find is a 360-degree camera. This gives you a view around the entire vehicle on your infotainment screen, helping you avoid obstacles and items that could be in your way. This is extremely helpful in parking lots and has become useful on wilderness trails.
These are just a few of the new car features that seem futuristic but are actually being used in modern vehicles.
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