The comfort features in modern cars, along with increasingly advanced infotainment systems, have created a whole new space for drivers and their passengers to enjoy, rather than just providing a means of getting from A to B.
But amongst all of that advanced functionality, there are many examples of car makers choosing style over substance and even quirkiness over usefulness.
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Everyone loves a bit of comfort and even a bit of quirk, but which of these over-the-top car features could you live without?
1. BYD Atto 3 guitar strings
It may be one of the more affordable electric vehicles currently available in Australia, but the BYD Atto 3 does have some strings attached – although not in a bad way.
The strings are actually a set of three bungee-style cords that run across the side pockets in the Atto 3’s doors.
In addition to holding items such as drink bottles in place, the strings can also be played a bit like a guitar. Each string produces a different note when it’s plucked, giving a whole new meaning to the idea of having a finely tuned set of wheels.
2. NGS button on Hyundai N vehicles
Hyundai’s N performance vehicles include a feature that exists simply to remind owners of the joy of driving a performance car.
Called the NGS button, it’s located on the bottom-right corner of the steering wheel in N series vehicles and pressing it will boost the engine’s output and shift it down a gear. The result is a satisfying roar that’s guaranteed to raise a grin, which is why NGS stands for ‘N Grin Shift’.
It only produces a 20-second burst of energy, but it’s easily long enough to produce the desired effect.
3. Hyundai Santa Fe UV-C Sterilisation Tray
Although it arrived too late for COVID, a new feature in the Hyundai Santa Fe could well come in handy during future pandemics.
Just above the glovebox is a compartment that houses a tray which uses ultraviolet light to sterilise any items placed on it.
The idea is that you can sterilise frequently handled items such as your mobile phone, wallets, purses and house keys. Hyundai claims it can remove 99.9 per cent of germs within 10 minutes.
4. Sounds of Nature by Kia and Hyundai
Who doesn’t wish they were deep in a rainforest instead of stuck in peak-hour traffic? Now some lucky Kia and Hyundai owners can transport themselves there with the touch of a button.
Recorded around the world, the sounds of nature are programmed into the vehicles’ infotainment system.
Depending on the make and model, you can choose from options such as wind, birds, forest, and water.
According to Kia, tuning into natural background noises “increases the alpha waves in the brain, inducing the flow state of consciousness - the state in which the brain is at its most creative.”
So if you’re in the mood to whip up some art while you’re on the road, stimulating your creative brain is literally at your fingertips.
5. Moody fragrances by Mercedes
Vehicles with inbuilt fragrance dispensers are nothing new, but Mercedes did lift the bar up a notch when they launched their EQS electric vehicle.
No.6 Mood Linen is a fragrance developed specifically for the EQS, which Mercedes describes as being based on the aroma of figs, more specifically, “the fig has been placed on a subtle patch of linen.”
So as you drive, you’ll be enveloped by a fresh, figgy aroma wafting through the air-conditioning vents, or so the marketing material claims.
Mercedes has been offering a range of fragrance options with its Air Balance packages for some years, with exotic choices such as Pacific Mood (lemon and orange notes with a blend of spices), Freeside Mood (touches of cedar, patchouli and ambergris) and Nightlife Mood (fresh, cool spices including cardamom and pink pepper).
6. Genesis’ crystal sphere
In place of a standard rotary dial as a gear selector, Genesis raised the bar in their GV60 electric vehicle (EV) with a rotating crystal sphere instead.
On one side, coloured light glows through the crystal, but press to rotate it, and your gear selector is revealed.
If you’re thinking this is all just for show, you’re mainly right, although Genesis claims that because the sphere won’t rotate while the vehicle is charging, it prevents the driver from taking off while the charge plug is attached to the charger.
Also of note in this EV is the facial recognition technology – you only need to look at it to open it, although this feature isn't available for Australian models.
7. Bulletproof Cybertruck
In a country where 44 per cent of people say they live in a household with at least one gun, having a bulletproof car may not seem like such a bad idea.
When first launched, Elon Musk claimed his Tesla Cybertruck was bulletproof.
Earlier this year, a US YouTuber shot holes in the claim, literally, by puncturing the exterior with a powerful rifle. The Cybertruck did however withstand bullets from a smaller handgun.
Musk also initially claimed the vehicle’s windows would have smash-proof armoured glass. But during a live demonstration, a small metal ball - around the size of a squash ball - was thrown at the windows, which embarrassingly did shatter.
8. BMW’s fold-out theatre screen
BMW’s 7-series and i7 are bringing back the romance of the drive-ins, without even having to drive in anywhere.
The BMW’s theatre mode is activated through touchscreens integrated into both rear doors.
In theatre mode, the vehicle’s blinds automatically deploy over the rear and side widows to darken the interior, then a large 79-centimetre screen unfolds from the roof.
All that’s left to do is make yourself comfy in the cashmere-covered back seat, turn on the seat massager and settle in for a night (or day) at the movies.
Of course, the theatre screen can also be used while the car is in motion, providing hours of big-screen entertainment for your rear passengers on long road trips.
9. In-car intercom system
No one likes to raise their voice to be heard in a car full of noisy passengers. Which is why some Hyundais and Kias have a microphone that can amplify the driver’s voice through the vehicle’s speakers.
Called Passenger Talk, the system can give parents up the front the opportunity to have the last say when the kids get too rowdy.
Not only that, but when all the noisemakers in the back have calmed down, you can help them get to sleep by switching on Quiet Mode, which turns off the speakers in the second and third rows.
It’s available on eight-seater vehicles such as the Kia Sorrento and Hyundai Pallisade and Santa Fe.
10. Seeing stars in the Rolls Royce Ghost
Hundreds of fibre optic lights turn the roof of the Rolls Royce Ghost into a shimmery galaxy of stars - a fitting special effect to compliment the ‘astronomical’ price of the Ghost.
Your star-lit roof can be adjusted to increase or decrease the brightness through controls in the front of the cabin, so you can adjust your personal Milky Way to produce the ideal atmosphere.
The optical fibres are set in leather and perfectly set to the correct height among the 800 to 1,600 perforations in the leather.
11. Stress-reducing seats
Forget mindfulness and meditation - if you truly want to reduce your levels of stress and anxiety, there’s now a car that can make you feel better.
Peugeot and Citroen’s luxury brand, DS Automobiles, claims the advanced seating in their DS-7 Crossback SUV can help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol by up to 53 per cent.
While car seats that offer a massage function are becoming more common, the DS 7 takes it to the next level.
A choice of various back and shoulder massage patterns, combined with seats that have built-in air conditioning and can be set to heat or cool, along with a special ‘Comfort’ setting for the vehicle’s suspension, all work together to help you reach a state of inner calm and peace.
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