Car News

Hiding your car key under a beach towel or in your shoes could soon be a thing of the past. Most modern car keys can’t be taken into the water and contain tiny hi-tech immobilisers and cost in excess of $200 to replace. Surfers, beach-goers and bushwalkers have faced this dilemma for more than a decade as more vehicles adopted sensor keys, but an increasing number of car companies are coming up with innovative options.

Darcy Foster • Hyundai has announced a major development in its Active Noise Control (ANC) technology. Rather than relying on traditional methods of sound insulation, Hyundai’s new Road Noise Active Noise Control (RANC) monitors cabin volume to adjust engine and road noise. The brand's current technology could only reduce noise when the sound coming in is constant and predictable, limiting its effectiveness.

Toyota Australia has finally rolled out its Apple CarPlay and Android Auto retrofit program, along with announcing the standard fitment of the smartphone mirroring systems across its new-generation model lines. From November 1, existing owners of the Camry, Corolla, Granvia, HiAce, Prius and RAV4 will be able to upgrade their vehicles' infotainment systems – costing $199 for Camry, Corolla and Prius, while Granvia, HiAce and RAV4 retrofits will be free of charge.

Hyundai Motor Group has revealed a new adaptive cruise control system that learns your driving style and attempts to mimic it. The company says the Machine Learning based Smart Cruise Control (ML-SCC) is a the world's first cruise system to incorporate the "driver's patterns into its self-driving behaviour".

Heated, ventilated and cooled seats are marvellous at cosseting vehicle occupants when the weather gets too hot or too cold. Now, Tesla thinks it's figured out a better way to make you comfortable and it involves liquid. First reported by Car & Driver, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has published Tesla’s patent for a seat with an integrated temperature-control system.