Hot Trends in Today's Cars

Guess what? There are more electronics, more communications gear, more safety features and more power—as well as more efficient power—coming.

Here's a look at what's hot and trendy on showroom floors and at auto shows:

Electronics Everywhere
Cadillac's 2004 SRXcrossover sport utility has drive-by-wire throttle control, which means there's no mechanical link between the accelerator pedal a driver touches and the throttle for the SRX's engine. Instead, electronics tell the throttle what the driver wants and help the engine respond.

In BMW's 2004 X3, the xDrive all-wheel-drive and traction system is controlled by electronics that monitor things a driver can't: the rotational speed of each wheel, and the vehicle's yaw and lateral acceleration. It also looks at the steering angle the driver has set and whether the brake pedal has been pushed. All are factored in by the electronics as it determines where, among the four wheels, to transmit torque while the vehicle is traveling.

Acura's 2004 TL has a navigation system capable of recognizing more than 290 verbal commands, and Volkswagen's 2004 Phaeton uses electronics to manage its air suspension and ride.

Welcome to the brave world of automotive electronics. They started slowly enough, mostly in engine compartments during the 1970s and '80s as automakers sought to meet increasingly stringent emissions and fuel economy standards.

Today, automotive electronics have moved beyond the engine to transmissions, all-wheel-drive and traction systems, brakes, navigation systems, climate control, audio, safety systems, suspensions and diagnostic equipment. Thanks to the relative low cost of electronics these days, electronics are being added to cars, trucks, sport utilities and vans in booming numbers.

Even low-priced vehicles now have electronics. The 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe, one of the lowest price midsize SUVs on the market, comes with a four-wheel-drive system that's new—and electronically controlled—this year. The Santa Fe's five-speed automatic transmission has electronics that manage the shifts between gears, and it even "learns" a driver's preferences and seeks to match them.

Look for future electronics to become more sophisticated in how they operate and what they can do.

Volkswagen's Concept R, for example, shows the evolution of keyless entry beyond today's key fob system, which still has a backup system using keyholes in the doors. The Concept R sports car has no keyholes. In fact, all that's needed to lock and unlock the doors is a light touch on the door handles as they eject from the otherwise smooth, sleek body. Imagine the ability of these systems, linked to fingerprint or other personal data, to thwart theft.

Staying in Touch
There's no denying it. We all are spending increasing amounts of time in our vehicles. Blame it on urban and suburban growth and the lack of road construction to keep up. Blame it on a record number of vehicles now in the country. Blame it on a society that loves to be mobile.

No matter. Drivers are expecting and demanding to be in touch with the outside world while they're in their cars. So, more vehicles are including systems that make communication easier.

In the 2004 model year, for example, several Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles offer optional UConnect, a hands-free, voice-activated communications system that includes Bluetooth technology. Toyota is offering Bluetooth, a short-range, wireless technology, as an option in its redesigned 2004 Prius, and Acura puts Bluetooth in as standard equipment in its 2004 TL.

Chrysler officials said UConnect is so easy that a driver only needs to bring his or her Bluetooth-enabled phone into the vehicle, and it will be recognized by UConnect, allowing preprogrammed phone numbers to be dialed via voice commands during travel, and phone conversations to be held via a microphone and speakers in the vehicle—all hands-free.

The cell phone itself can be placed anywhere in the vehicle during this time, even in the glove box or trunk, and phone conversations can continue, uninterrupted, via the driver's cell phone after a vehicle is parked and the driver departs.

Consumers can use their current cell phone carrier and telephone number, and UConnect can be programmed to recognize up to five phones. Officials at DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group added that UConnect is available on such varied vehicles as the 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck andChrysler PT Cruiser.

Don't expect these vehicles to be the last to add Bluetooth. Bluetooth officials predict the technology will be in at least 20 percent of all vehicles by 2007.