Coolest Car Technology for 2017

The future is here! At least it is in some of the newest cars to hit the showroom. Even if you’re not in the market for a new car, you’ll want to see this cool, new car technology.

Buy a Bentley, get a tablet. Hate getting to your destination and having to turn off the music playing in your car? In the 2017 Bentayga SUV, the in-car entertainment system can be taken with you when you get out of the car. Two 10.2-inch Android tablets are included with the car and stored in the front seatbacks. They feature a Bentley-specific interface along with full Android capability and can be detached and taken with you wherever you go!

Have you ever been victim to backing up just a little too far? So have we. That’s why we were pretty excited to find a rear camera featured in Ford’s 2017 heavy duty pickup line. It doesn’t stop there; there are seven video cameras around the truck. Yes, seven. Four of them are HD cameras, and combined, they give drivers a 360-degree, bird’s eye view around the truck. Not in the market for a new truck? No worries. Several new cars in 2017 will come equipped with traditional back-up cameras. That’s right. The NHTSA is requiring all new vehicles to have them as standard equipment by May 2018.

Distracted driving is on the rise, but the technology in the Volvo S90/V90 can help ensure your car won’t run off the road because the driver is distracted. It can also prevent running off the road due to inclement weather. If a driver isn’t reacting quickly enough, the system engages the brakes and steers the car back onto the road. The same Volvo vehicles can help you avoid hitting animals who may not be directly in your path, but on the side of the road. The system also identifies large animals like deer or elk standing alongside the road, warns the driver and applies brakes as necessary. How’s that for peace of mind?

Speaking of distracted driving, that may not be a worry if you’re in a self-driving car. Yes, you read that right. Although, cars that drive themselves may not quite be common (just yet) on the road, we’re making progress! Beginning in 2017, Volvo will offer 100 fully autonomous, self-driving SUVs to the general public for use on a 31-mile route in Sweden. The all new E-Class from Mercedes-Benz will offer some semi-autonomous driving features, and Teslas offer several refined autopilot features.

Keyless entry is a mainstay in car technology, but imagine if you could wear your car key – and measure activity, too! We’ve all been there… late to work because we can’t find where we’ve placed our keys. The Jaguar F-Pace SUV is taking that worry away by offering a wearable waterproof wristband as the key. Going to the park or for a swim? Park your car, lock it, put on your wristband and exercise knowing you won’t lose it along the way.

And we’ve saved the best for last. We love a good tailgate, and one of our favorite 2017 technologies is perfect for tailgate time! The cargo bed in the 2017 Honda Ridgeline can double as a giant speaker. It features a 540-watt audio system with six weatherproof “exciters” that play any of the truck’s infotainment systems sources (operating only when parked or driving below 10 mph). Sign us up!

2017 will bring a whole new slew of brand new vehicles to the market as well, including Ford’s most expensive car ever, a brand new Volkswagen Beetle and much more. What new car features are you most excited about for the New Year?