Under the hood: Fresh new-vehicle features for 2019
New car and truck technology is evolving at a rapid pace, with several new connectivity, performance and safety systems debuting this fall
It can be a strange new world if you haven’t set foot in a new-vehicle dealer’s showroom in the last several years. Advanced features that were once limited to the costliest luxury models — particularly those that can help drivers avoid accidents — are fast becoming common at all price points. And a wave of new convenience features is adding upscale touches and fresh functions to even the most mainstream models.
Here’s a look at some of the most fanciful vehicular gizmos and gadgets that are debuting for the 2019 model year.
Among new safety features for 2019, the redesigned Audi A8 not only offers a frontal auto-braking safety system that can help prevent against cross-traffic collisions at intersections, it rides on an active suspension that can help minimize the effects of a side impact collision. It does this by automatically raising the body by 3.5 inches if sensors detect a crash is imminent, so the other car would hit the most rigid part of the A8’s body.
Both the new Lincoln Nautilus and the 2019 Ford Edge crossover SUVs premiere a safety feature called Evasive Steering Assist. This system uses cameras to keep an electric eye on slower moving traffic and stationary vehicles in the vehicle’s path, and will help the driver steer around them to avoid a crash.
What’s more, the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS fourdoor coupe offers a Pre-Safe Impulse Side system that can nudge front occupants sideways in anticipation of a side impact to reduce the risk of injury. The car also comes standard with a Pre-Safe Sound function to protect a passenger’s hearing that emits a brief rushing sound if it determines a crash is certain. This causes an ear muscle to contract in a reflex action to help protect reduce the risk of hearing discomfort or damage in an impact.
In terms of connectivity, both the redesigned 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 full-size pickup trucks are tapping owners’ smartphones to make towing easier and safer. Their latest trailering systems can interact with a new app that include functions like a predeparture checklist, maintenance reminders, trailer light test, trailer electrical diagnostics, trailer tire-pressure monitoring, and tracking of other vital statistics.
Though automakers have struggled for decades to make their cars whisperquiet on the inside, the redesigned-for-2019 Toyota Avalon full-size sedan comes with an Intake Sound Generator, Active Noise Control, and Engine Sound Enhancement to pump engine and exhaust notes into the cabin to help enliven the driving experience. Going a step further, the new full-electric Jaguar i-Pace crossover SUV pipes in artificial engine sounds upon acceleration to compensate for the fact that an electric vehicle otherwise runs silently.
The iPace also includes the latest artificial intelligence technology that works to anticipate a motorist’s needs. The vehicle can learn a driver’s preferences and adjust the climate control settings, seat position and radio stations automatically. It can also do this at different times of the day to accommodate, say, a more determined morning
commute with news and traffic reports, and a more laid-back ride home set to smooth jazz.
Finally, the aforementioned 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup can be fitted with the industry’s
first power operated tailgate that raises and lowers itself at the touch of a button. Meanwhile, the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 includes a new MultiPro Tailgate with six separate functions and positions that can make loading and unloading easier, and can be configured as a standing workstation.