With the dawn of the 21st century came along technology that continues to make our lives easier by the minute. So much so, that we have now become accustomed to these things and have made them an indispensible part of our lives, for example, cars. The automobile world has boomed over the years but it has taken a long time to get there. For example, what appears to be the standardized pedal format (accelerator to the right, brake in the centre and clutch to the left) took decades to be zeroed down upon. But there are more engineers now, more feedback from customers and hence car manufacturers can fill their cars to the brim with new technology. So, if you are going out in that competitive market, what features should you be looking for? We tell you all about the top five must haves.
1. Adjustable steering for reach and rake: One of the most basic rules I was taught about driving a car was that you need to be absolutely comfortable behind the wheel. Discomfort does not only make it difficult to drive, it also keeps you from enjoying the drive. That's where tilt and telescopic steering comes into play. First introduced in 1965 as an exclusive option on Cadillacs, this provision gradually moved on to luxury cars and then finally made the jump to the other side over the years. Tilt and telescoping steering is paramount to driving comfort, because without the ability to adjust the steering, you can only hope your proportions match with that of the car's designer.
2. Power windows: This one vouches for itself, doesn't it? Pit power windows against manual crank-handles. Now imagine the kind of effort required to use each one of them. Power windows are a must because they barely require any attention or effort to be used, a feature that comes in handy, especially while driving.
3. ABS: Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) is what prevents wheels from locking and skidding under heavy braking. It allows the driver to maintain control over the steering, and the wheel to roll forward and create lateral control. In a car without ABS, wheels often lock during emergency braking which leads the car to spin out of control and increasing the chances of fatality. With ABS however, safety is the top priority.
India is already notorious for its accident and casualty rates; reports suggest that 78 per cent of accidents in the country occur due to ruthless driving. With better roads and faster cars, we are even more exposed to fatalities on the road, which makes the presence of ABS all the more necessary.
4. Two Airbags in the Front: The lack of safety features combined with negligent driving and shabby roads has given India its notorious reputation for casualties on the road. According to the World Health Organization's 2013 road safety report on the number of deaths compared with the size of a country's car fleet, India's road death rate is over 6 times as high as that of the United States and about 3 times as compared to that of China.
Tests conducted by Global NCAP showed that passengers risked death or serious injury in collisions at 64Km/h, a statistic that can be offset by the presence of airbags. A research conducted by the Monash University Accident Research Centre also validated the effectiveness of airbags in protecting vehicle occupants from death and serious injury. Though airbags add to the vehicle's cost, we believe that a car must have at least two airbags in the front.
5. Bluetooth and USB: Gone are the days of cassettes and CDs, the latest fad is Bluetooth and USB, and they serve a purpose better than being a mere fashion statement. While USB helps you browse through a number of songs and in some cases even videos, Bluetooth takes up the responsibility of syncing your phone to the car, thus allowing you to make calls, read texts and even access media on your phone. Thus, it is not only an effective way of communication, but quite an engaging feature too.
Though car manufacturers do provide these features in their cars, we believe these five are absolutely essential to any car, irrelevant of the trim level because they bring together the worlds of safety, entertainment and driving pleasure.
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