J.D. Power and Associates asked 19,000 potential car buyers what they want and what they're willing to pay for. Safety is apparently on the minds of many, with blind spot detection and backup assist taking the top two spots. But once consumers were told blind spot detectors would cost as much as $500, the device fell to No. 4 on the list, while a $300 backup assist jumped to No. 1. And a majority (73%) put in-dash navigation as No. 3 in popularity, but when told they'd have to pay an estimated $1,800 for it, it falls way down to No. 18. Hear that OEMs? Cheap nav is on a bunch of people's wish list.
With gas prices at record highs, 72% of the respondents said they were "probably interested" in a hybrid powertrain and 23% were "definitely interested." When told the system would add $5,000 to the cost of their ride, though, hybrids fall from fifth place to No. 8. Disappointingly, clean diesel technology comes in at the very bottom of the list with only 37% saying they would probably be interested.
We spoke with Mike Marshall, Director of Automotive Emerging Technology at JD Power, who said he was disappointed in the clean diesel interest but not really surprised. "We knew it wouldn't do that well," Marshall said. "One of the biggest things working against diesel is where people are coming from."
Hit the jump to read the rest of our interview and to view the full press release by J.D. Power and Associates.
UPDATE: We spoke to Mike Marshall, not Chris, and the survey queried 19,000 people, not 1,900. We've updated the post to reflect the corrections.
The next BMW 7-Series is going to be graced with some serious driving technology. While the image above doesn't appear to have anything like the picture quality of Mercedes' NightVision Assist, BMW's offering will have some other features that you probably won't find this side of a special ops base.
The second-gen night vision system will be able to detect humans in the road because it will use thermal imaging. It will alert the driver of human impediments up to 100 meters ahead, and it won't be confused by humans on the sidewalk. If a collision is imminent, a flashing warning triangle will appear on the screen and the heads-up display.
European versions of the car won't have to rely on navigation software to know the speed limit of a given road. A camera behind the rear-view mirror will read street sings in any country that is signed to the Vienna Convention -- which doesn't include the U.S. That function will work in any weather, even fog. It won't limit the speed of the car, but it will warn the driver if his or her speed is excessive. Word is they are considering naming the system "Hal." Thanks for the tip, Chris!
The camera found in the Night-Vision-system will be improved as well, featuring a better resolution and improved object-recognition. The system will warn the driver if he is in danger of a collision with any detected object or human. To test this technique they test drove over 250.000 kilometers at night, so the error margins are pretty slim. That's pretty impressive I would say.
The honchos at VW decided that Park Assist (PA) wasn't enough. That's where the car parallel parks itself while you twiddle your thumbs behind the wheel, and when the Fasten Seat Belt sign is extinguished you can get out and go on about your business. The latest development from VW is called Park Assist Vision (PAV), and it will park the car for you in any kind of spot -- parallel or perpendicular -- and you don't even need to be in the car.
A PAV-equipped car is ringed with cameras and ultrasonic sensors, and when you find a spot you want, you select it on a touchscreen. You place the car in "P" and get out if you have that much faith in technology not to scratch your paint. Your remote control keyfob tells the car what to do from then on, and the car parks itself, shuts down and locks itself up, as any happy android car should.
PAV is still in development, but it's a neat idea. It could especially come in handy when trying to slip into one of those ever-shrinking "compact" parking spaces, since it's so hard to get out of the car once you get in the space. Now if they could develop a feature that actually locates available parking spaces for you, we'd be in business.
Click above for high-res gallery of the BMW Hydrogen 7
The BMW Hydrogen 7 arrived in late 2006 boasting the unique ability to run its V12 powerplant on both hydrogen and gasoline. This was a smart idea, as the on-board 30-gallon tank of -253° Centigrade liquid hydrogen was only good for a range of about 125 miles. The other fuel tank, filled with 19.5 gallons of good old-fashioned gasoline, extended the range another 310 miles. It didn't offer any environmental advantage, but it did allow you to get home.
BMW is following up the original Hydrogen 7 with a new version - this time minus the gasoline tank. While official performance specifications, including emissions data, have not been released, BMW is claiming both performance and range have been increased. It will debut at the 2008 National Hydrogen Association Conference and the 2008 SAE World Congress in mid-April, when BMW is expected to release emissions date for the car, as well.
The interior woes of recent Chrysler products have been well documented, and consumers rightly expect better these days. Chrysler has come to realize this fact and is taking appropriate measures to fix the problem and be sure that its future products come better equipped to face the competition. While stylish exterior and interior designs with high quality materials have come to be expected in modern vehicles, technology and gadgets are often what separate one automaker's vehicles from another. Chrysler recognizes this and is working to offer desirable options as standard equipment on some of their popular models.
Now, Chrysler has started a new tactic that is unique among car manufacturers: adding improvements as they become available, as opposed to waiting for the next design refresh. These improvements include a new mileage-saving all-wheel-drive system for their 2009 300C and Dodge Charger as well as swiveling rear entertainment systems, blind-spot monitoring and backup sensors for their '09 minivans. Chrysler hopes that these changes will entice potential buyers to choose its vehicles over less-well-equipped models from another manufacturer.
The question "Where are my car keys?" hasn't left the building just yet, but is being shown to the door. Why? The arrival of push-button starters and smart cards in an increasing number of automobiles. Now that Nissan and Toyota have added button-starters to their high end Altima and Camry models, well, you know what that means: soon everyone's going to have them.
The tech-ification of starting your car is supposed to have at least two winners: car designers and consumers. Designers can put the starter buttons anywhere and even make them part of the car's appeal, like Jaguar has done on the new XF with a starter button that pulses like a heartbeat when you get in. Consumers will get a key that does more than just turn on the car, like adjust your seat and mirrors, turn on the heat, and treat you to free In-N-Out burgers. Ok, so not really on the In-N-Out thing. That's the next generation.
Losers -- if there really are any -- would be the folks who make keys and cylinders, and the consumers who lose their smart cards. Though key makers will lose some business, there are still plenty of cars around the world without push-button starters. For those who lose their smart cards, the locksmith and AAA won't help you any more: a $250 check to your dealer's parts department, plus labor, will be in order. In the new world, convenience, like almost everything else, will cost a bit more.
It was just last month when we reported the announcement that Microsoft had taken Ford's SYNC to the next level. It was good news for Ford, and good news to consumers who apparently like the award-winning hands-free communication and entertainment system. Even with $395 price tag, SYNC was selling faster than Hanna Montana tickets at a middle school box office.
Ford isn't the only automaker using the Windows CE 6.0 based Microsoft Auto technology. Before Ford inked their deal, Microsoft had licensed the technology to the Italian automaker Fiat SpA. Now, as Ford's exclusive U.S. rights to the technology are set to end later this year, Microsoft is eager to bring other automakers on board. It shouldn't be a tough sell, as consumers are embracing technology-laden vehicles, and Ford's SYNC has proven to help sell cars.
It's only a ten-vehicle trial, for now -- but the emphasis is on the "for now." Transport for London, the body responsible for the Underground, bus, and river bus network in London, has put out an RFP for a company that can make an Intelligent Speed Adaptation system. What is that? It's a GPS-based device that would attempt to keep you from speeding.
The device is meant to work by knowing where it is, and what the speed limit is. The same way the Nissan GT-R knows it's on a track and removes the speed limiter, this would be the reverse: the car would know it's in a 30-MPH zone, and would work to keep the driver from going any faster. It's not I, Robot (above) -- although we'll say again: yet.
In the beginning, the system would only vibrate the accelerator pedal, or make a beeping noise to let a driver know he's speeding. At this point it doesn't look like there are any plans for the system to take control of the car, but one would have to assume that such ideas are being debated, and are on their way. We're all for safe driving, and as technology allows politicians and councils to come up with more ways keep people safe, things could get, well, interesting. But at least it's not a revenue grab -- the car doesn't keep track of how fast you're going and not tell you, so the authorities can send you a bill later...
click above for more high-res images of the gorgeous Audi R8
It's that time of year where everyone's prognosticating like Nostradamus about what the coming year will hold. The authoritative ink slingers at Automobile magazine have decided that Audi's R8 deserves the dual honors of 2008 Automobile Of The Year and Design Of The Year, as well. While infused with the generous spirit, Automobile named General Motor's Two-Mode Hybrid rig Technology Of The Year.
The R8 is Audi's sports/GT that looks like a supercar and radiates a glow across the entire Audi model line. Not only does it have neck-snapping visual presence, with a 420 horsepower V8 between the axles, there's a deep well of accelerative force to go along with a finely-tuned AWD chassis that doesn't scramble the occupants. Park the R8 next to some rosso italiano, and the lithe German with its metal side blades, straked vents front and rear, and muscular stance might just steal all the thunder.
Big trucks that return 20mpg in the city have been about as realistic as Tinkerbell, until now. General Motors partnered with BMW and the artist formerly known as DaimlerChrysler to develop a flexible hybrid architecture for a wide variety of applications. The second-generation system, with lots more transmission trickery added to the bag of fuel-saving techniques, is allowing the GMT900 platform to post city EPA mileage numbers not far behind four-cylinder midsizers. Because of the system's joint development, we should start seeing this hardware popping up in a variety of different vehicles soon. We're sure that not everyone will agree with Automobile's picks, so fire away with your own suggestions.
Normally, when you want to change the paint color on your car, you're facing lots of disassembly, extensive prep work, and expensive time in a spray booth followed by seemingly endless hand blocking. Instead of the conventional method, a new technology might be on the way to make a color change as easy as twisting a knob. It's actually quite similar to the magic General Motors has wrought with their magnetorheological dampers. The variable-color paint works this way: prior to paint, the body gets a special polymer coating that's got paramagnetic iron oxide particles in it. When a current passes through this coating, the ferrous particles change their alignment, which alters the way they reflect light, effectively changing the car's color. The default color when the car's not running is white, which hints at a future of exceptionally bland parking lots if this technology takes off.
GM shrinks Volt's gas tank, range drops from 600 to 360 miles
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In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Lincoln MKS
Track Test: 2008 Roush 427R Trak Pak Mustang
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Porsche Cayman S
First Drive: 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata Retractable Hard Top
