In-car technology is becoming more and more advanced, with the number of vehicles fitted with the gadgets increasing all the time too.
Whether you’re behind the wheel of an eye-catching Lamborghini or a nimble city car, there’s a good chance that you have experienced some of these handy features at work.
In this guide though, we’ve looked to showcase five pieces of in-car technology which has significantly improved life behind the wheel…
The benefits of having a vehicle with an ECO-pedal system
Did you know that the new Nissan LEAF is designed with a one-pedal driving system?
The electric automobile not only has double the mileage range of its previous model equivalents, but the one-pedal driving system allows for the accelerator pedal to be transformed into a multifunctioning e-pedal at a touch.
The e-pedal functions as a start, stop, accelerate and breaking pedal when activated.
Suitable for 90 per cent of urban driving, the system means that the car will slow to a halt by itself with the ability to hold itself on an incline without the need of the brake pedal.
Put alongside other cars built by Nissan for comparison, the Japanese manufacturer’s one-pedal driving system provides drivers with additional efficiency benefits.
Nicknamed the ECO-pedal system, the pedal controls the speed of acceleration to prevent revving up the engine.
The level of fuel-efficient driving is displayed through a colour and flashing Eco-P lamp.
According to Nissan, studies have proven that effective eco-driving with the ECO-pedal can contribute to an improved fuel efficiency by 5-10 per cent.
The benefits of having a vehicle with a blind spot information system
With the blind spot information system (BLIS), you are provided with a warning if you try to switch lanes but have not noticed that another vehicle has entered your blind spot.
When a vehicle enters your blind spot zone, the BLIS system will alert you.
The detection area is on both sides of your vehicle, extending rearward from the exterior mirrors to approximately 10 feet (3 meters) beyond the bumper.
The system alerts you via a small light on your side wing mirrors – when there is a vehicle in your blind spot zone, the light will illuminate.
When your blind spot zone is clear, the light will switch off.
The benefits of having a vehicle with lane departure warning systems
Lane departure warning systems, which can also be referred to as lane-keeping systems, are increasing in popularity and usage across the motoring industry.
These systems keep you within your lane when driving on the motorway.
When motorway driving, it’s vital that you stay firmly in your lane, unless you are overtaking.
This system alerts you with a vibration on the steering wheel if your vehicle is unintentionally edging out of its lane – and in circumstances when the vehicle thinks you are reacting too slow, the vehicle will take control and provide steering torque to divert you back into the safe space on your lane.
This is a safety feature to prevent drivers from veering out of their lane on motorways and dual carriageways where drivers around them are driving at high speeds.
The benefits of having a vehicle with intelligent speed assist
Break the speed limit in a car fitted with intelligent speed assist technology and you’ll receive both audio and visual alerts.
By using GPS, the system is able to detect the vehicle location and reference this with a digital road map that is programmed with speed limit information for each road.
The system can be used as an active speed limiter whereby it can take control of the vehicle and reduce the speed when travelling above the speed limit.
It does this by reducing the throttle signal. Additionally, the system is also fitted with a speed limiting function that increases the pressure on the accelerator when you exceed the speed limit, so that it is harder to accelerate and break the speed limit.
The benefits of having a vehicle with Jaguar Land Rover’s weather adaptation system
By 2020, Jaguar Land Rover aims to start fitting advanced weather adaption systems to its new vehicles.
The system allows cars to autonomously adapt to weather changes and situations to make adjustments to drivetrain, suspension, traction control and climate control for optimum efficient driving.
In particular, you will want to take note of this piece of in-car technology if you drive a Range Rover or Land Rover across various types of terrain.
The technology is said to be able to connect to present and future weather data via telematics and GPS to sensibly adapt both inside the cabin and around the exterior.
One feature suggests that the system will automatically close your vehicle windows if it senses that rain is forecast.
Onboard rain- and terrain-sensing mechanisms will be used to control the temperature, pressure and humidity inside the cabin, whilst interior and exterior lighting will be altered depending on the circumstances.
