SINGAPORE: If you think a set of wheels is just a way of getting from point A to point B, think again.

There is more under your car's hood than you think – from systems that will monitor car performance to structures that are capable of giving directions.

The onboard computer in the car controls functions from electric window, central locking to even the wipers.

There are also two networked systems managing the engine performance, throttle input, the gearbox and much more.

Vincent Ng, product manager at KAH Motor, said: "What we have now is the 32 bit CPU, so you can imagine the computing power that is in your car. I would say because it is very specialised, the rate of information that arrives at the computer unit could be a lot quicker than a laptop."

With a car's innards linked, there is no more guesswork with repairs as it is a breeze pinpointing faults with a diagnostic tool.

Because of that, KAH Motor is servicing 20 percent more cars.

"The technology is actually coming down from our more luxurious cars, and some of the more advanced cars available in the United States. For a car like the Civic, the technology has caught up," said Mr Ng.

Dr Rainer Thiel, president and CEO of DaimlerChrysler Southeast Asia, said: "Your advantage in innovation lasts roughly six months, sometimes a year's time, then it is more common for everybody.

"It could be that competitors have looked to our cars (to find out) what we are doing because we try to be a trendsetter and set benchmarks in the automotive business that leads to the potential to create new innovations."

Some standard features in the next generation of mass market cars could include factory-installed GPS navigation, voice command, bluetooth mobile communication and rear-view camera system.

A Heads Up Display (HUD) has practical applications in a car as it shows your current speed and gives you directions, without you taking your eyes off the road.

Some industry players said the next big thing could be onboard telemetry.

Combining GPS and traffic information, it can help navigate you to less congested roads.

Other manufacturers are also working on 'accident-free cars', which are vehicles that take evasive actions to help you avoid a crash.

Some may argue they don't really need all these high-tech features, but it's hard to escape the modern technology that's rumbling down the road.


- CNA/so