If you told someone in 1980 that one day, we’d have cars with built-in infotainment units, keyless unlocking, and reverse cameras, they’d probably think you were crazy – and with good reason.

Automotive trends are constantly evolving to match our needs. For example, did you notice that new cars seldom come with ashtrays while it was commonplace in older cars? How about the fact that older American movies often show the front seat as one long bench while most new cars have separate driver and passenger seats?

Fun fact: Chevrolet is the only car brand that released a 2021 model with a front bench!

Every year, the technology found in everyday cars evolves at lighting-speed to make our driving experiences safer and more convenient. 2021 is no different.

While these fancy features often launch in high-end luxury vehicles, they eventually trickle down to the mass market as technology becomes more affordable and accessible.

Want to find out which high-tech features you’ll find in new models over the next few years? Read on!

5. Remote Smart Parking Assist

The Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) feature available in the 2021 Hyundai Sonata is a big step forward for bringing tech usually only found in luxury vehicles into mid-sized sedans.

RSPA lets you pull into and out of parking spots with an easy click of a button (found on the car key) while you’re not even inside the vehicle.

Unfortunately, this feature only enables your car to pull backwards or forwards into parking spaces, and not parallel park – but if the speed of technology is any indication, we’re not far from self-parallel parking cars.

4. On-the-go Wi-Fi

The 2021 BMW M4 offers a super-sleek infotainment system that lets you navigate menus and settings with voice control and comes standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a luxurious Harman Kardon audio system... But those are just the standard features.

For those looking to level up their on-the-go connectivity, additional features include gesture controls, a wireless charging pad, and a subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot that keeps you and your passengers online, wherever you go.

3. Clean air technology

Volvo introduced this world-first technology in 2020, and it will be available on all 90 and 60 Series Volvo models in the future. Their clean air filtration system even offers drivers an app, Volvo On Call, to schedule a full cabin air cleaning before their journey.

This feature, aimed at those who live in urban areas that struggle with pollution levels, filters up to 95% of the most harmful air particles before they enter your car.

While High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters have been available in Tesla cars since 2016, Volvo’s electrically charged filter is the first of its kind in the world.

2. Remote safety upgrades

Tesla has been delivering remote updates to their vehicles since 2017, but in 2020 they ramped up the upgrades and features with 15 remote upgrades to the Model 3 executive car in 2020, with even more expected in 2021.

Along with letting their drivers skip a trip to the dealer for new upgrades and features, the latest safety updates included the ability to lock the glovebox with a PIN, notifications if you leave your door unlocked, halting when the car sees you’re at a red light, slowing down at roundabouts, cruise control, and in-cabin footage collection that drivers can access in the event of an accident.

1. Superfast electric charging

Over recent years, almost all major car manufacturers have released flagship electric vehicles in Europe, America, and Asia. The next year will see the release of the 2021 Lucid Air – a luxury sedan that can charge up to 480km in 20 minutes at a fast-charging station.

Now that electric vehicles have become mainstream, one of the most important metrics they’ll be judged by is how fast they can charge. With Lucid Air taking the top spot and the Porsche Taycan taking second, the Tesla Model 3 and Model S have been pushed down to the third and fourth spot – signalling that there’s still loads of room for competition and innovation in the market.

Unfortunately, electric cars have yet to take off in South Africa due to their high price point and the country’s decade-long battle with a stable electricity supply. Still, if international trends are anything to go by, one day we’ll all be crowding around electric power points instead of lining up at petrol stations.

Whether you’re cruising in a high-tech wonderland or still jamming along with a cassette player, dotsure.co.za Motor Warranty offers cover suited to your lifestyle and budget – we even cover cars up to 15 years old with up to 300,000km on the clock! Learn more about our Motor Warranty today.