Our cars are faster, smarter and most importantly, safer, thanks to these 10 innovations.
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ABS Brakes |
1. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)Found in almost all but the cheapest cars,
ABS
is a simple “anti-lock” system that gives drivers the capability to
steer around danger under hard braking by preventing the wheels from
locking up. The modern evolution of the ABS sees it being paired up with
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), a system which can vary the amount of braking force applied to each wheel.
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ESP |
2. Electronic Stability Program (ESP)Once
reserved for the upper price bracket, ESP technology has been slowly
trickling down to the mid-class segment. Fitted with sensors that
monitor the car's behaviour, an ESP-equipped car is able to minimize the
loss of control in slippery situations. ESP works in unison with
several systems which include ABS and traction control.
3. Entertainment systemsThere was once a time
when the only entertainment on the road was a basic cassette player
and/or a radio. Today's entertainment systems go beyond music, playing
video and audio files from a plethora of sources such as USB drives and
mobile phones. Some of the latest factory audio systems even include GPS
navigation with real-time traffic updates. If you are fortunate to waft
through life from the back seat, internet connectivity comes standard
with the system.
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Parking Sensors |
4. Parking assistsWhere would we be today
without the ever faithful parking sensors in the back? When it was first
introduced, these sensors were godsend to those who had a problem in
judging distances and made parallel parking a breeze. The most
sophisticated parking systems today don't just include a barrage of
sensors – they come with cameras and radar detection. Some even will do
the job of parking the car for you!
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Daytime Running Lights(DRL) |
5. Daytime Running Lights (DRL)It
was a new ruling in Europe Union, and it sparked off a huge trend in
Singapore. DRL's are forward-facing lights that are automatically
activated when the vehicle is moving. Premium marques or higher-spec'ed
cars come with factory LED-equipped DRL systems that emit a bright white
light. Since its introduction here, sales for aftermarket DRL kits have
taken off too. They work well to varying extent, with results from
attention-grabbing to blindingly-annoying.
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Keyless Entry |
6. Keyless entryAs
it's name suggests, it allows you to enter a car and drive off without
having to fumble for the key. The car senses for the presence of a
“smart” key fob near it, and only unlocks the doors when you reach for
the door handles. Locking is achieved with a slide of a finger on the
handles. You can do so much more now with the key fob today, such as
starting the engine, opening the boot-lid, windows or even lowering the
roof.
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Radar Technology |
7. Radar technologyThe
police have used it for years to bust speeding drivers, but the same
technology has been adapted to make the task of driving easier. Radar
technology has already been applied in reverse sensors, but as you go
higher up the price chart, you'll find that radar sensors are located in
almost all corners of the car, including mirrors so that they can feed
information to a blind spot detection system. Even more advanced radar
systems can be found in adaptive cruise controls, to make sure there is a
safe distance between you and the car in front. They also automatically
apply the brakes when it detects an impending collision.
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Direct Injection Engines |
8. Direct Injection enginesThis
new breed of engines sprays fuel directly into the combustion chamber
instead of injecting it through the air intake port. Compared to the
previous method of port injection, direct injection engines burn fuel
more cleanly. With more power, you get tighter emission controls and
improved fuel efficiency. It's perfect for the current sky-rocketing
fuel prices and to meet stricter emissions legislations.
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Turbocharger |
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9. Forced induction enginesOnce
limited to exotic supercars of lore, forced induction technology is the
signature of owning a highly-tuned car, and has gained widespread use
in many cars today. Carried out by means of turbochargers,
superchargers, or a combination of both to force more air in, forced
induction engines can produce similar levels of power as a traditional
engine of a larger capacity, at the same time, keeping the emissions in
check.
10. Start-Stop technologyA
start-stop system is designed to cut the time that an engine spends
idling as much as possible, to save fuel. Perfect – if you're often
caught at the traffic lights or stuck in jams. First seen in
petrol-electric hybrid vehicles, it has seen an increasing application
in normal petrol vehicles. Don't think that one can achieve the same
results by manual intervention – stuff which traditionally runs off the
engine such as air conditioners won't work. A start-stop equipped car
can continue to operate as normal, thanks to an electric motor.
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