An inflatable seat belt is a passive restraint strap in a car enhanced with internal airbags. The airbags inflate during a crash, helping to distribute forces from the crash across the torso, reducing the risk of injury to the occupant.
A massaging seat is a luxury comfort feature that uses built-in inflatable bladders under the seat covers to simulate common massage techniques, such as kneading, pressing, rolling, and more. Automakers often install bladders in the backrest and the seat cushion to provide a more effective massage.
A tow hitch is an extension of a vehicle’s chassis that enables the vehicle to tow a trailer. A receiver attaches to the hitch to insert a ball mount. After a trailer ball is screwed into the mount, a coupler, extending from the trailer, hooks onto the ball. Once all the components are locked together, including chains (and sometimes wiring), the vehicle can drive and pull a trailer behind it.
Running boards are narrow platforms attached to the vehicle’s underside running from the front to the back wheel that help a person more easily enter or exit a vehicle with higher ground clearance. Vehicles built early in the 20th century sported running boards due to their higher ride height. Today, you’ll usually find running boards on larger sport-utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans.
Adaptive suspension adjusts the ride characteristics of a vehicle on the fly through the dampers. Adaptive dampers placed at every corner of the car use sensors to monitor road conditions and adjust the response of the suspension system from rigid to plush based on the driver’s demands. Adaptive suspension settings can be predetermined with selectable drive modes, with names like comfort, normal, off-road, sport, or race, depending on the type of vehicle.
Hill descent control is a safety technology that frees the driver to steer while the vehicle’s computer actuates the anti-lock brakes and traction control to keep the vehicle moving downhill at a pre-set speed. Vehicles with off-road capability frequently feature this capability, where hill descent control can be highly effective.
Auto-leveling headlights are an anti-glare safety measure for a vehicle carrying a heavy load that tips the headlamps’ projection angle. Auto-leveling, or self-leveling, headlights adjust the cut-off line, which is the beams’ farthest boundary, to maintain proper visibility for the driver but avoid blinding other road users.
A proximity key (also called a “smart key” or “intelligent key”) is an electronic fob used for keyless entry and ignition systems in vehicles. Proximity keys pair with push-button starters, enabling drivers to unlock, enter, and start their cars without removing the fob from their pockets or purses.
The “key” transmits low-frequency (LF) radio waves to communicate with a vehicle to lock and unlock doors and start the engine when within a short range. Antennae within the vehicle identify the rolling code radio pulse generator inside the fob.
A bedliner is a protective covering for the exposed floor and walls of a pickup truck’s open cargo hold to guard against scratches and dents. A bedliner can be a spray-on coating or a drop-in insert. You can purchase either type as manufacturer options on a new vehicle or aftermarket products.
Heated mirrors use a heating element similar to those used for rear window defrosters to melt snow and ice from your side mirror, helping maintain visibility. They eliminate the need to scrape your exterior side mirrors.
