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Fantastic Automotive Technologies

This week I was asked by a newspaper in Flordia to describe some of the latest and greatest technologies that automakers are offering in their products. There are tons of them. But here are a few of our favorites.

In the new Ford Freestyle -- a recent addition to their product line -- is one of the newest safety inventions on the market. It is a steering wheel column that collapses on frontal impact to absorb energy from a collision protecting the driver.

SMG transmission in the BMW M3 and the Audi TT: These are manual transmissions utilizing paddles on the back of the steering wheel to shift the gears -- just like a Formula One race car -- eliminating the need to depress a clutch pedal or use a traditional gear shift lever. These are fun, fun, fun! No longer does one have to encounter the inconvenience and distraction of a manual transmission. These should be the future or all tramsission.

Hill Start Assist: If you have to stop on a hill, often vehicles will roll backward -- a very unnerving experience. With Hill Start Assist the driver has several seconds to give gas to the vehicle to move it forward, after taking your foot off the brake. This product is in the Volkswagen Touraeg, all Land Rovers, and the Nissan Pathfinder.

Rear Video Cameras: Lots of companies are offering rear sensors, but the Infiniti QX56, and other products from Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz, have a video feed from the back of the vehicle onto a monitor in front of the driver. It shows you what is going on behind you and makes backing up safer and more accurate.

Hill Decent Control: This product controls downhill speed in SUVs like the Volkswagen Touraeg, Nissan Pathfinder, and the Land Rovers. After selecting this feature with a button, the vehicle's decent is controlled by a mix of the transmission, antilock braking system, and traction control. Without using the brake or the gas, these systems take over the speed of the vehicle and the spin of each wheel individually to deliver a slow, controlled decent on steep terrain.

Power Adjustable Pedals: This technology provides convenience, comfort and safety to drivers of differing sizes -- especially when there are several people driving the same car. On some vehicles it is standard, and on others it is an inexpensive option. Using a powered switch (just like for windows) the driver can automatically move all pedals closer or further away. This makes it possible for drivers of all heights to sit comfortably, while also being properly positioned. Ford was the first company to make this feature widely available to their product line. However other companies like Chrysler also offer the feature.