With each new model year, vehicles are being equipped with more technological advances.  Your car can now parallel park for you, warn you when you’re drifting out of a lane and play your favourite song on voice command.  Features such as these are becoming widespread among automakers and many of them are even becoming standard components.  Here are eight advances that are featured in cars today.

Parking Guidance

Lexus was the first automaker to feature a system that made parking a breeze.  Available on the LS model, the Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS) can parallel park or back into a parking space for you.  With the vehicle aligned, the driver presses a button, puts the car in reverse and releases the steering wheel, controlling speed with the brake pedal.  The computer can also determine if there’s enough clearance for a space.

Automatic Wipers

The rain sensor is a standard feature on most of Audi’s models.  Located on the windshield behind the rear-view mirror, a sensor detects rain or moisture, automatically activating the wipers.  It can also adjust its speed – when the rain falls harder, the wipers move faster.

Night Vision

Offered as an option on BMW’s 550i, this system is able to detect upcoming objects on dark roads.  An infrared camera transmits a high-contrast image to the console and can detect pedestrians or animals up to 300 metres ahead.  Obstacles can be revealed before the headlights reach them.

Smarter Cruise Control

Mercedes-Benz’s CL600 comes with Distronic cruise control.  A driver no longer has to continuously adjust the cruise control when approaching other vehicles.  A radar signal tracks the distance of cars ahead and automatically adjusts the speed as it gets closer.  Audi and Acura also offer a similar feature.

Lane Departure Alert

A camera unit behind the windshield of an Infiniti EX35 can detect when a driver is drifting out of their lane.  By calculating the distance between the vehicle and the lane markers, the system alerts the driver on the display and a buzzer is heard when they are veering off.  The system gently assists the driver to correct the steering and applies brake pressure to the wheels to manoeuvre the car.

Blind Spot Assistance

Volvo’s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) was first introduced on the S80 sedan.  Digital cameras built into the side mirrors monitor other cars and a light flashes next to the appropriate mirror when another vehicle is in the driver’s blind spot.  Image recognition technology can distinguish between mobile and immobile objects, preventing false alarms.

Automatic Temperature Control

Using a GPS-linked solar sensor, this Acura RL option monitors the location and intensity of the sun.  The automatic climate control system adjusts each side of the cabin accordingly and holds the designated temperature.

Voice-Activated Multimedia

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury drivers can communicate with their vehicle using Sync, powered by Microsoft.  Voice activation can control everything from hands-free calling to playing your favourite song on your digital music player.  It can read incoming text messages out loud, compile a playlist based on the style of song you’re listening to and read its “vehicle health report” to you, all by voice command in English, French or Spanish.