As India celebrates Technology Day, a wave of new advancements in the automotive sector is making driving in India smoother and more convenient. Here, let’s quickly take a look at five innovative features and technologies that have become popular lately and can be considered before hitting the road.
Twin-cylinder CNG technology
CNG cars are often praised for their cost-saving benefits and reduced emissions.However, owners often faced storage challenges due to the large CNG tanks taking up space in the boot. Tata Motors addressed this issue by introducing twin-cylinder technology. Instead of one large cylinder, two smaller cylinders are used, allowing for more storage space in the boot. Additionally, the spare tyre is attached to the bottom of the car, maximizing storage efficiency.
Automatic climate control
Indian summers can be unforgiving, like the case has been so far in 2024, but automatic climate control takes the guesswork out of maintaining a comfortable cabin temperature. By automatically adjusting fan speed and temperature, this feature does the work for you – instead of you constantly adjusting the AC functions.
Ventilated and heated seats
Ventilated seats in a car help keep you cool on hot days by blowing air through tiny holes in the seat, while heated seats warm you up on chilly days by gently heating the seat surface. They make driving more comfortable, no matter the weather outside. Many affordable cars in India have started offering this feature.
Heads-Up Display (HUD)
Prioritizing safety, HUD technology projects essential information like speed, navigation, and warnings directly onto the windshield within the driver’s line of sight. By minimizing distractions and keeping the focus on the road, HUD enhances driver awareness and reaction times, thus becoming more important for the happening streets of India.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
Representing a significant leap in driver safety, ADAS features such as lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot detection provide an additional layer of protection. By alerting drivers to potential hazards and intervening in critical situations, ADAS has the potential to substantially reduce accidents on Indian roads. Therefore several manufacturers are offering Level-2 ADAS features in their products; however, it is currently a feature that is only limited to higher-spec variants of certain models and is not available in entry-level Indian cars.
Speaking of technological advancements in the Indian PV industry, Tarun Garg, COO, Hyundai Motor India, said “India’s automotive market is evolving rapidly, with customer preferences shifting towards value-consciousness and prioritizing convenience and tech features. Hyundai’s connected car software, Hyundai Bluelink, now available as an option in over 84% of our product line-up, has seen significant success . Since its introduction in 2019, we have already sold over 500,000 connected vehicles. Additionally, Hyundai is committed to enhancing vehicle safety, with ADAS-equipped models gaining popularity (30 percent penetration ) among safety-conscious buyers. Hyundai Motor India is the only OEM in India with 7 ADAS equipped models in our portfolio . Looking ahead, we anticipate a future where vehicles will be software-defined, revolutionizing mobility worldwide and we at Hyundai Motor India are committed to introduce industry defining products & service for our beloved Indian customers.”