Electrification, stock shortages, larger screens – these are only a number of the automotive trends we’ve seen in recent times.
But do all of them have a spot in the present landscape? Some do, and a few don’t.
Here, the CarExpert team discusses the trends we’d prefer to see laid to rest in 2024. Tell us what your pet peeves are within the comments!
Scott Collie: “Safety” systems that don’t work
I said this last 12 months, and I’ll say it again next 12 months if things don’t get well. Overzealous, under-developed energetic safety systems have to get within the bin.
Most brands are guilty of this in some form, but it surely’s a standard thread across the newer Chinese brands… and anything wearing a Hyundai or Kia badge. The most recent Hyundai and Kias, for instance, beep at you each time you break what they think is the speed limit – even in the event that they’re flawed, normally in a faculty zone outside of college hours.
If you happen to’re doing 61km/h in a 60 zone, they beep. If you happen to drop from 61 to 59km/h, after which drift back to 61km/h, they beep again. Thank god the lane centring system within the Kia Seltos we had recently was so aggressive, had it let me I’d have driven it off a cliff to stop the incessant beeping.
Don’t get me began on the driving force monitoring system within the GWM Tank 300 Hybrid we had recently, which might beep and flash up a message within the cluster in case you a lot as breathe the flawed way, after which have much more of a fit while you took your eyes off the road to read the condescending warning it was flashing.
It’s utterly infuriating, and up to date moves to make it easier to show these systems off by brands haven’t solved the elemental problem – you possibly can’t leave them off permanently due to the automobile world’s helicopter parents at Euro NCAP, and their dutiful lapdogs at ANCAP.
As an alternative, you’re forced to take your eyes off the road (safety first!) to seek out whichever sub/sub/sub/sub/sub menu is liable for the systems, and switch them off each time you begin the automobile.
William Stopford: Bongs that won’t shut the *BEEP* up
Driving a Hyundai Kona the other week, I had the cruise control set to 80km/h and going downhill the automobile hit 81km/h. And Hyundai’s insufferable overspeed warning chimed.
I’m sorry, what? You possibly can’t keep the automobile to a set speed, and you select to chide me?
Hyundai Motor’s overspeed chimes are by far the absolute worst of a foul bunch. Allegedly serving some asinine European regulatory requirement conceived by bureaucrats who probably don’t even drive, these alerts serve to scold you for daring to go even 1km/h over the posted speed limit.
Oh, and in the case of vehicles from brands like Hyundai and Chery, the overspeed alert defaults to on. And to show it off, you find yourself turning off the entire traffic sign recognition system.
These speed alerts also often depend on data gathered by the vehicle’s camera, and I’ve yet to see a traffic sign recognition system in a automobile that’s right 100 per cent and even 90 per cent of the time.
Driving through a faculty zone at midnight at the regular speed limit? Ding! Driving past a highway off-ramp? Probably one other ding! Ding ding ding. Every part’s a ding.
Just shut up already.
Jade Credentino: Price rises on price rises
Recent model, recent premium pricing. Brands nowadays are using recent models, particularly recent electric cars, to jack up prices.
Most brands that began selling electric cars were luxury brands, which made sense given the technology was expensive.
Nevertheless, now the technology is more broadly accessible, it seems it’s getting used an excuse for some brands to attempt to position themselves as premium as well.
Take the Ford Mustang Mach-E for instance. While Ford’s vehicles aren’t traditionally known for the very best value, the Mach-E pricing in Australia is ludicrous. It should compete with less expensive vehicles, featuring each petrol and electric power.
More competition should make for higher pricing, but it surely seems everyone seems to be playing the identical game in the mean time and consumers are the large losers.
Paul Maric: “Safety” systems that don’t work
Redundant and annoying safety systems should be banished.
Scaremongering by taxpayer-funded safety bodies like ANCAP are forcing automobile brands to provide you with safety systems that do the alternative of their intended purpose because they’re all the time switched on.
We’re talking about poorly tuned driver distraction systems, overactive lane-keeping assistants, and speed sign recognition systems linked to audible warnings.
They’re all required for five-star safety rankings, but only a few of them actually work as intended.
Tony Crawford: The death of real buttons
The tip of real buttons is more annoying (and distracting) than the incessant door-bell chimes, or the every day wrestling match with lane-keep assist before you find yourself finding the kill switch.
What cohort of brain-dead engineers and designers made the choice to throw away the functionality of buttons, dials, and knobs and replace them with infuriating taps on touchscreens?
That’s only in case you can find the bloody sub-menu of the sub-menu of the sub-menu. I just need to turn the rattling volume down, so I can hear what the navigation is saying.
After which when the mercury hits 45 degrees and also you climb back into your sweltering SUV, eager to lower the temperature before you combust there aren’t any buttons, no dials, and the vents don’t move.
In what world does any of this make sense?
Thankfully, I’m not the one voice against this misguided design-led insanity and the worldwide backlash has already began to have its effect.
We like clean lines and a minimalist look inside our vehicles, but for crying out loud leave us volume knobs and air-conditioning dials so we don’t have an accident trying to seek out the proper sub-menu.
James Wong: More cash, less alternative
Ever-increasing prices and ever-decreasing alternative.
Things are getting more pricey and available options less diverse. Stop it now.
Jack Quick: Chatty cars
I even have never found a voice assistant I actually liked, or have used regularly. They’re typically clunky or misinterpret what I say.
That is why I hate that carmakers are skimping on the variety of buttons for certain features and making them ‘more easily accessible’ through a voice assistant.
I’d much fairly push a physical button to show my heated steering wheel on, for instance, than dig through numerous menus or ask some random voice assistant to do it for me.
This Article First Appeared At www.carexpert.com.au
