Car Tech

Autonomous cars, and the technologies that drive them, are the rage at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Aside from the gnawing fear and insecurity such cars instill in the pit of your stomach, they're pretty cool--as this Audi Piloted Driving demo proves. Here, you'll see a car drive...

Volvo used this week’s 2013 Consumer Electronics Show to unveil a new retrofit touch-screen interface for its S60 sedan and XC60 crossover, as well as the V60 wagon sold overseas. The new unit has been developed together with tech companies Ericsson and Parrot, and will be offered through...

If you live, work or play in an urban environment, we’ll bet that “finding parking” is one of the more unpleasant tasks you face on a daily basis. While some larger lots are now providing real-time updates, searching for this info on a smartphone or tablet as you drive isn’t...

When it debuts at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show next week, the all-new 2014 Lexus IS sedan will become the first model in the U.S. to offer subscription-free traffic and weather updates. The announcement was made this week at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The...

Audi has given a preview of its upcoming technologies at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, this week. Though aimed at the general electronics industry, the annual show, known to most as CES, has grown to become a key event for automakers announcing their latest...

If you're anything like us (and we think you are), it's pretty easy to lose a few hours in any given day down a web-searching rabbit hole like the production, use, and benefits of a material like carbon fiber--particularly as it applies to supercars and race cars. Here, we see exactly such a rabbit...

Automotive technology supplier Harman recently partnered with BMW to develop a new connectivity and infotainment system for the German automaker’s cars, which for the first time is being announced for customers in the U.S. Forming the core of BMW’s own ConnectedDrive technology mantel...

Subaru is the latest automaker to announce a new vehicle connectivity and infotainment system, joining the likes of BMW, Ford, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, which have been offering such systems for years. Subaru’s new system is called Starlink and it made its official debut this week at...

Safety tech might not be as sexy as big horsepower figures, track-ready traction control, or even the latest in infotainment capabilities, but the level of technology that's already integrated into the upper echelon of today's luxury cars--and what's on the horizon--is mind-boggling when you get...

Whether they’re in print or digital form, few of us have the time these days to actually read newspapers or magazines. Instead, we get our information (in the form of easily-digested sound bites, generally) online, in-between sips of coffee on our way out the door. Ford thinks it has a better...

Chrysler has revealed a new version of its Uconnect touch-screen interface at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, which the automaker claims is the first in the industry to enable dealers to upgrade the system with navigation, weeks, months or even years after the car is bought. This means that...

Hyundai is heading to the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show next week to showcase the next generation of its Blue Link telematics and infotainment system. The new system is designed to incorporate the best of Apple and Google technology along with features from several other industry giants...

The Consumer Electronics Show has, over the past several years, become more and more about automotive technology. This year, Lexus will be flaunting its latest, including its take on autonomous driving tech. While the company is touting the system as if it were about to reach production, one look...

It’s been 10 years since Mercedes-Benz first introduced its PRE-SAFE technology, with the anticipatory occupant protection system initially debuting on the W220-series S Class back in 2002. PRE-SAFE is now available on 40 models from Mercedes-Benz, from the base A Class to the S Class...

Get into any new car—okay, well maybe not a Smart Fortwo—and you’ll find power steering. Power steering systems have, for the most part, become so good, so transparent in a way, that we tend to forget that they exist. Yet we should keep in mind that for the typical driver, to...

Hyundai is previewing its vision for the future of car connectivity with a new technology demonstrator based on its i30 hatchback sold overseas. Aptly named the Connectivity Concept, the new i30-based technology demonstrator showcases the future of mobile phone and car integration from the Korean...

In the race to develop the world’s first self-driving car, Japanese firms have been lagging their European and North American counterparts. Google has already developed a fully autonomous vehicle and has even gained a license to test it on public roads in the state of Nevada. Mercedes-Benz...

Leaks and rumors being what they are, we've been cautious about talk of the LS7 V-8 engine from the Corvette Z06 appearing in the Chevrolet Camaro. We've also been looking forward to--but not counting on--a twin-turbo V-6 engine from GM for at least two years. Today, both of those may be just a bit...

Just when you think you have every automotive acronym figured out, General Motors goes and invents a new one. In this case it’s “PAL,” which stands for “Performance Algorithm Liftfoot,” and we think you’re going to like what PAL can do for you. If you’ve...

Automotive supplier Continental is one of the driving forces behind the development of systems necessary for autonomous vehicles, and it’s become the first industry supplier granted a license to test autonomous vehicles on Nevada’s roads. Google was the first company granted a license...