[Mach_1590]

Endeavour has some gimmicky tech which isn't of much use to me personally. I like the tech which aides in reducing the driver and passenger fatigue. I have frequently started to use cruise control, apple carplay, speed limiting feature, 360 degree parking sensor(boon in heavy traffic) and it has actually helped me a lot in munching miles in good comfort.

Growing up in the 90s, I have never felt that the tech is too much to handle, the real question is how much of it can be put to use. I have never used parallel park assist. Things like electrically foldable last row seats or even the much hyped panoramic sunroof are good to have but not at all a necessity even in 40 lac rupee vehicle instead they could have worked on proving a more comfortable middle row seats with ample thigh support.

Tech like dual zone a/c, electric front seats, auto wiper and lights, bright and colorful digital display with plethora of important info like TPMS and DTE aides in the overall comfort and reduces the stress but how much of it will work the same after 8 years, I am not sure. Speaking of new age tech, our not so well engineered highways and traffic etiquettes are not ready for ADAS.

[pd1108]

Originally Posted by MadinMumbai

So, we finally bit the bullet and got a new Honda City. It was a straight upgrade from the 2012 VCVT to 2021 VCVT. The buying process was smooth and delivery was within 7 days of placing the order.

I know boring, right? But we did a lot of waiting and watching. I procrastinated for almost a whole year. Did everything possible to rule the City out as a rational choice. Looked at all the new models in the 14-17 lac OTR range. There have been quite a few new launches. Some excellent new crossovers that I considered seriously (drooled at) and am now glad I didn't get. I'll explain why. And it might seem silly.

Of all the cars we considered Honda is perhaps the most conservative when it comes to tech offerings for users, you know the little bells and whistles that a user can tinker with. To be honest there was a time when I was very happy to spend days playing around with features on my new phone. Sadly not anymore. I found both Kia and Skoda were both loaded to the gills. And while the specs are impressive on paper I had to consider my own usage. How many of the features will I actually use? And I realised basis that I could happily choose the Honda City.

Now, I am getting old, or let's say I am no longer a fan of many buttons, especially while driving in maddening Mumbai traffic. So, the City seemed a better fit. Even so I am finding new things, most of which I have no use for, everyday.

Do others also feel that? You know just the fatigue of learning to use a whole bunch of instruments, commands and instructions when all I want to do is get from point A to point B in some measure of comfort.

I partially agree with you. I think many of the technologies (like ADAS etc.) have not been fully tested on Indian road conditions (read chaotic) and so its utility is suspect. Some of them may even pose a danger if the driver is not alert ( say the FCA response when a motorcycle darts in. So why pay when it won't/cant be used?

I see the introductions of these techs more as being ahead of the curve, and I hate being a lab rat for them. Yes some of them will be useful once the technology matures, while some of them may never be used in the chaotic traffic in the cities. The proximity sensor I'm sure will be permanently glowing if turned on in city driving

So my take is I rather wait for a year or two to buy a Techy car. I am all for tech features as they promise to make driving safer, and also help in becoming a better driver

[saleem_k]

Some car manufacturers have spoiled us by offering features in the past 6-7 years that were considered premium a decade ago. Due to great marketing strategies these are now considered as must-haves. This is driving consumers to thinking about these features as essential while losing the very essence of how a good car should be, in terms of performance, drivability, reliability, unique abilities, etc. For example, a car might have all modern gizmos but drives like a boat, still the majority population wants those features while not really caring about driving pleasure.

Personally, I would any day prefer a car that offers great driving pleasure, gets me from point A to B in a safe and reliable manner, will take me a little farther than what most cars normally might do and most importantly not leave me stranded with my family in the middle of nowhere.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by MadinMumbai

Do others also feel that?

I don't think there is any right or wrong answer for this question, it all depends on what individuals want. Some people want their cars to be like spaceships, some want them to be adequately loaded and some people just want them to be pure mechanical fun.

Originally Posted by GTO

I personally love tech & gizmos. Most of them do offer functionality & features, and enhance the in-cabin experience.

Exactly my point above. There will always be different kind of people with different requirements.

Originally Posted by GTO

Forget gizmos, there aren't even power windows, fuel lid release or an MID in this one!

Our Bolero, Thar and Defender do not have these either Oh sorry, the Defender has power windows!

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by Mach_1590

Things like electrically foldable last row seats or even the much hyped panoramic sunroof are good to have but not at all a necessity even in 40 lac rupee vehicle instead they could have worked on proving a more comfortable middle row seats with ample thigh support.

Sunroof is a feature which we Indians want. Even buyers who buy a 7 lakh car, expect a sunroof nowadays. Although, in my opinion the sunroof is a waste for me and just adds to another item to maintain.

There is a reason why you have lesser comfortable seats in the middle row. The Endeavour is a full blown SUV with offroad capability. For a proper SUV, you need good ground clearance which the Endeavour has. On the other hand, the Endeavour is about 6 feet tall, so increasing the height further will increase the body roll. Another factor is the hump in the center for the rear shaft. All these factors contribute to the lesser comfortable middle row seats. You can't get everything. The XUV5OO and now the XUV7OO has far better middle row comfort, but you loose ground clearance and get front wheel drive. Although some XUV5OO have AWD, its not a proper 4x4 like the Endeavour.

When it comes to tech and gizmos in cars, I am happy to have them as long as they don't stop my car, in case of a failure. For eg. A failed reverse parking sensor will not affect my running, but a stupid cheapish sensor, may get me stranded on the highway. What I am not in favour of is the sensors and tech connected to the engine and associated parts, which can get you stranded on the road in case of failure. But you can't help it now, as engines get more modernized, more and more tech is added. Want to see what all will come in electric cars in the future.

[Jude300]

A really good question to ask oneself and thus makes a great thread. Whole point of having tech is to help humans. But what has happened overtime is tech has become the biggest problem in human lives.

Current day cars come loaded with tech but only a handful are really useful of which only a very few are put to use. But when things go wrong it could be from any of those unlimited list of features. To me it's not about learning to use them but about using them well. This was the reason why I opted for the variant without sunroof on the Safari thought o really loved the panaromic Sun roof

[Hash09]

First of all thanks for making a thread for this, I was looking forward to discussing this.

I do think that a lot of cars have started have gimmicky tech that perhaps we can do without (and I might risk sounding like an old person despite not being that old but here goes).

Some of the features that fit this list in my opinion are:

1.Screens everywhere:
Isn't it ironic that we stay away from using our phones while driving because we value safer driving habits, but then car brands stick a gigantic screen on the dashboard, somehow being oblivious to the fact that it can be very distracting? It may not always be the case but I have encountered quite a few drivers driving erratically on city streets, only to find out when I pass them, that they were using the touch screen infotainment while driving.

I understand that screens can be convenient for a lot of things like navigation for instance, and the well designed ones with fairly normal sizes look pretty neat too (the ones in previous gen Octavia or current gen Vento, Honda City, etc. come to mind), but I will never understand the really big ones found in Teslas and high end Mercedes. I especially dislike the Mercedes infotainment and "instrument console" which is essentially a screen slapped on behind the steering wheel (it doesn't even look like a proper instrument cluster imo), and I wonder how future proof these digital speedos and virtual cockpits would be.


2. Touch sensitive controls:
I get that it's probably easier and cheaper for a brand to manufacture a car with just one screen with all the controls, or touch panels in place of regular buttons and knobs, but as the general consensus has suggested, it really doesn't seem like a safe option, nor does it seem to be a convenient one. I mean, even Honda learned from their mistakes and replaced the touch based climate control "buttons" to good old knobs, so why are other brands still continuing to follow this trend (Skoda and VW?). Yes, some systems provide haptic feedback to these controls and while some argue that it increases the usability, I don't know if it would be useable enough if there are vibrations in the car at higher revs for instance, and I doubt they can be used with the same kind of muscle memory as normal buttons.

Take a look at the MK8 Golf GTi's steering wheel with the touch based controls, I find it really bizarre. Imagine accidentally selecting a function while driving because you shifted your palm a little when holding the wheel

I hope our market doesn't see this kind of trend at least.

3. Electronic parking brake:
This has to be the most redundant feature imho. Like the old saying goes, why fix what ain't broke? A parking brake which relies on sensors and motors to work, which can't be used in emergencies, replacing a normal handbrake with a simple lever and cable mechanism? No thanks, I'd rather have the "old" tech instead. Surely the E-brake wouldn't be cheap to repair in case it malfunctions either. And somehow it seems like the manual handbrake is getting phased out faster than even the manual transmission- it's practically non existent in cars like the German big 3, and even in some D and D+ segment sedans. IMO I'd much rather have a functional handbrake, than sacrifice functionality for a "cleaner" look.

4. ADAS, Lane keep assists, etc.
I understand that safety is important while driving, but when a machine takes control instead of the one driving it, I don't know how safe it is. It seems features like these are more intrusive than helpful in real life road conditions, as apparently these are tested on closed roads and controlled environments, and can actually be unsafe if the sensors malfunction (Although I could be wrong so don't quote me on that). Besides I doubt our roads are the best place to use this feature given the driving habits of most motorists here, and the conditions of most roads, which might not even have proper lane markings let alone be well maintained.

5. Connected car tech:
This one, I'm not quite sure, but I've heard that it can compromise safety with respect to theft, as it can leave your car vulnerable to hacking. I don't know how true that is, but I hope security improves in this aspect as the technology evolves.

I don't want to sound all negative so let me just say that I don't completely hate a few of these features. It's just that they add a lot more costs w.r.t. buying as well as ownership/maintenance and can be sometimes counter-intuitive to use. I hope as technology progresses, these features get better and more user-friendly as I understand that this is still fairly new technology. Well, let's hope for the best.

[Kartman]

In my opinion, the tech in the cars today is more or less the same. the main thing with all this tech (mainly screen controlled) is that the User Experience (UX) has to be such that people of all age groups can work it. For ex. I have a Skoda Octavia and now i have a Kushaq, both have a screen but the experience in the Octavia is so much better. Apart from wireless charging and wireless apple car play all the features are the same. The octavia UX is so much cleaner and easier to operate, especially when driving that I just do not feel like driving the Kushaq. I had test driven the Seltos too before i got the Kushaq and my family unanimously rejected it mainly due to the screen and the dearth of unusable information and confusing layout (for ex. gear indicator is in one corner in the smallest possible font)

So more than gizmos and gadgets, car manufacturers should look at making the user experience better, which will lead to a smooth transition and adoption of technology.

[SN88]

The biggest turn off with the whole gizmo's in cars is the sensors bit !!

I am sick and tired and get angry when some light comes up and you go to the garage and the guy says "sensor sir".

So many times these issues waste your time going to get it rectified just because the car "thought" there was an issue when there is absolutely nothing wrong Aargh

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by MadinMumbai

Do others also feel that? You know just the fatigue of learning to use a whole bunch of instruments, commands and instructions when all I want to do is get from point A to point B in some measure of comfort.

I may be getting old (in my mid-forties) but I love new gizmos and new features in cars, and in general! So I'd say, bring them on. I'm happy to use them or play around with them.

Some of the features that were considered a luxury or were labeled as 'unwanted' are actually becoming extremely useful. For example, reverse camera.

I am so much used to it now. Reversing a car without a camera is now a bit of a troublesome task if you ask me. Can it be called an overdependency on an unwanted feature? Absolutely not. I like to compare it with reading glasses - if you have a vision problem and if your eyes can't focus on the newspaper or the book, and if you have the option to wear a reading glass, would you not consider it? Of course, you will. Nobody will shy stay away from using it, with the reasoning that they would want to experience reading more naturally or something like that.

ADAS features, touch screens, connectivity, terrain/traffic-aware transmission systems, etc. - I welcome all features in these categories.

How these features are implemented does matter. What I do not want is a beep sound going off in a loop whenever I cross 80 or 120kmph - the driver needs to have some kind of override or configurability.

[SouravS]

Having simple features is pretty much fine, as long as the car does the basics right with the ride, handling, performance & reliability. My major concern with too many gizmos (read sensors, electronics) is the headache it can cause with the glitches and issues, either minor or major. Imagine being out on a road trip with family / friends and getting stuck in the middle of nowhere! And the difficulty of finding qualified and reliable technicians to be able to fix it.

As long as the technology enhances my experience, and provides better functionality, I am all for them. Personally, aside the initial excitement, I hardly use many of the available features and functions. I have found I use the most basic ones, and have continued to do the same, even after I have moved on to more recent (and ‘gizmoed’) cars. While it may be very different for each person, and also the segment in question, I have come to quite appreciate things like TPMS, auto dimming rear view mirrors, Android Auto / Car play, seat memory, etc.; and have developed a dislike for use of LEDs, sunroofs, touch screens instead of knobs, cameras, HUDs… I could go on & on. But someone else may be absolutely justified in finding them useful – to each his own – as they say!

The day we start rewarding mechanical advancements more than ‘cool’ gizmos, we, Consumers as a whole, would have done ourselves a huge favour. Carmakers would then (hopefully) spend more on safety & security, and also get rewarded for it.

[BrabarusMark]

The abundance of tech features in the cabin I feel are getting out of hand on every car. The Tata Punch, I think, has some games pre-loaded. Now which Punch owner is going to go out of their way to play some silly games when they can do it on their phones?

My biggest gripe is moving physical controls into touch controls on the infotainment system. It's a design choice made by a designer and not an engineer because that is jist not ergonomic or convenient to use.

I find the Dacia Sandero's approach very refreshing in these tech-laden days. They just give an in-built phone holder and a charging cable to hold your phone or tablet and an app to give the choice of having touchscreen infotainment.

Maybe I'm just getting older, but I think I'll be sticking to analogue buttons for whichever new car I buy in the future.

[Livnletcarsliv]

The abundance of tech is "Not just in Cars". It's everywhere due to the over-hyped "Digital Revolution". The auto industry is no different than to embark on this journey of transformation.

Well, to answer your specific question - Yes, the techs and gizmos are too much for a country like India.

For eg - one of the most inappropriate features is the replacement of physical buttons with touch screens. Its brightness is one of the biggest is night driving hindrances - Too bright to have a proper vision during reverse. It's a bane rather than a boon.

The most important problem I see with today's loaded tech is that these features take the DRIVER out of you. For enthusiats like me - it is we (drivers) who controls the machine. But for today's first time car buyers and non-enthisasts - its the machine that controls the driver.

So all in all, the technological advancement and adoption WILL and SHOULD be part of the automotive industry's progression. However, there should be some limitations and regulations during the course. Afterall, too much of anything is not good.

[ashwinprakas]

Imma gonna leave this here. Goodnight.

[Risky4327]

Some gizoms are worth investing, but that shouldn't.force the customer to buy unwanted features. I do care for 5 star safety ratings, 6 air bags larger Wheels with alloys, but I do not want to shell out extra money for automatic headlights, wipers, sunroof, android auto etc.
I wish auto makers adopt the Dell model of business where everything can be customised and customer doesn't has to pay for unwanted features.