Today’s cars last longer than ever. That’s great news for owners and shoppers, but it also means your next used purchase could come with features that haven’t stood the test of time. We spend a lot of time new car, so we get a front row seat that fits all these design trends and features, so we’re going to make some bold predictions. Imagine it’s 2042, and you’re looking at cars around 2022. What would make you cringe? What will make you smile? Here are eight features that could either rise or fall over the next two decades.
Motion activated and gesture control
In the late 1980s, Nintendo released a game controller called “U-Force” that used infrared motion sensors to play games without touching the controller. It’s horrible, but it’s an interesting novelty. We feel the same way about the touchless controls for cars. We were able to open the upper elevator door for the first time Ford Escape by kicking under the rear bumper, we thought it would be great… when we could work. We imagine that most of the gesture controls inside will largely follow the path of U-Force in 20 years’ time, potentially in favor of some form of Electronic telepathy, but for doors, windows and designs? There’s still potential.
Identify: Capable of cool.
Oops
Cases are nothing new, but they are certainly trendier than ever. NS intersection the revolution has made textured black plastic the well-chosen wheel trim material and with vehicles such as Subaru’s Wilderness formation and associates join the group, the situation just seems to be more dire. What does it mean for cheap, replaceable Jeep car The fenders look silly on luxury wagons for $65,000, but their customers don’t seem to care.
Identify: Lame
Accent light
Lights everywhere. Outside, inside – even in places you wouldn’t normally expect. Easily one of those popular interior design fad of the last decade is ambient light. All car segments from cars to cars luxury sedan at least one car comes with LED lights that creep into every dark nook and cranny of the interior. They are packed with entertainment settings and drive modes and basically anything else that can change the atmosphere inside the car. And that’s just the inside. Plus, LEDs have made exterior light signatures the norm regardless of brand. They are cool sometimes; sometimes they are “Fast and furious“horrible levels, but for better or worse, they’re definitely everywhere. Factory lighting (aka “puddle lights”) is especially popular with high-end brands and certain concepts. Recent concepts even hint at factory low light.Will they still make an impression in 20 years?Possibly, as long as they still work.
Identify: Mixed / Maybe cool
Faux Suede
Alcantara, Microsuede, synthetic suede – whatever you call it, artificial suede seems to be just gaining in popularity. What started out as an alternative to leather in high-end and performance vehicles has become a staple of any model that is trying to be even sportier. Sure, it has its advantages. It has the same basic look and feel as real suede and is more durable to boot. In most cases, it can handle spills, stains and even fires better than the real thing. When it was first used in cars, it was closely associated with racing. Everything has gone too far. Need interior decoration? Slash it with enough Alcantara to put out the forest fire. Bonus points if it’s anything but black or gray. Both will look like crap in two years’ time; we don’t even think about what will happen after 20.
Identify: Mostly lame
Carbon fiber and piano black trim
Carbon fiber is in danger of disappearing altogether. It combines with faux leather as an interior accent for every piece luxury car want to appear even somewhat sporty. These are usually thin boards applied to bit interior dressand while they may partially look, they don’t really accomplish a thing carbon fiber is good for: providing the same structural advantages of heavier materials without the corresponding weight.
“Piano Black,” As the glossy black trim is often called, it’s essentially the base color equivalent to more affordable cars. Not only is it blinding, attracting dust and scratches, but it’s so common that almost everyone is sick of it, even in 2021. In two decades? Beard.
Identify: Lame
Augmented reality
AR definitely renders well. It’s flashy, has some instant conveniences, and it seems like the perfect fit for the new generation of car buyers who’ve grown up hunting fake monsters in the “real” world. with the help of their smartphone. Like gesture control, there are several practical applications for AR even in today’s market (the giant Mercedes windshield navigation coating is actually quite impressive) but with wearables becoming smaller and more convenient, we doubt that, like navigation, AR will survive as a standalone smart feature. rather than a must-have integrated component in an in-vehicle infotainment system.
Identify: Maybe cool
Semi-self-driving suites
Autopilot. FSD. Super yacht. Green yacht. Like faux suede, there are many brands for self-driving tech, but they’re all pretty similar and they’re all still in the early stages of development. Sure, there are plenty of good systems out there, but none come close to a full-time solution. No matter how excited the auto industry is for this technology, the global infrastructure will always pose challenges to its birth. While technology is improving rapidly, we remain skeptical that self-driving capabilities will indeed be (or even should be) the ultimate goal of personal transportation.
Identify: Mostly lame
Blur
Matte paint seems to be slowly gaining popularity, but new model persists over time and the introduction of matte vinyl wrap and paint protection has given this aesthetic a new twist. lease on life. We think that’s great right now, but we’re not too sure it will remain so in 20 years. Early cars with a permanent matte finish could end up being stolen on the road if their trouser legs weren’t well taken care of, but it’s a daunting task for new owners. We tend to avoid them altogether, new or different.
Identify: Mix
