Browse over 9,000 car reviews
Cars have come a long way in the last few years. Many features once considered high-tech or luxury in the not-so-distant past (take autonomous emergency braking for example) are now standard, offering improved convenience, functionality and, most importantly, safety.
However, there are still several features that automakers could adopt universally more broadly, some of which could be helped by more stringent government mandates.
So, with that in mind, here are the five standard features we think all automakers should fit as standard.
One of the best yet simplest automotive innovations in the last decade, LED headlights have become ubiquitous on our roads and rightly so.
Their supreme visibility and illumination qualities make them safer than their halogen counterparts and their compact size has revolutionised car design, too.
That said, too many automakers still use halogen headlights on budget-friendly models – we’re looking at you MG and Kia.
Every Australian knows how it feels to hop into their car on a hot summer’s day only to cop third-degree burns on its leather (or synthetic leather) seats.
Like how heated seats emerged a decade ago, we think ventilated seats should be more of a thing on cars at all price ranges, especially in Australia where the UV is particularly cruel.
Tesla, for example, allows you to cool your Model Y and Model 3 seats remotely before you jump in through the Tesla app. We think all automakers should follow suit.
As of November 1 2025, reverse cameras must be installed on all new cars, as mandated by the Australian Government. But we think this could have gone a step further with mandated surround-view cameras.
Unlike reverse cameras, surround-view cameras offer 360-degree visibility, as well as top-down camera angles.
That means you're even more likely to catch people or things in your blind spots when parking, improving your capacity to prevent a low-speed accident.
As drivers have to increasingly share the road with cyclists, this feature seems like a no-brainer.
By no means are we like Europe with cyclist highways. Rather, most of our bike lanes run directly in the path of vehicles, which massively increases the risk of being car-doored.
It’s little surprise then that some of the latest European cars, like the Volvo EX30 or Cupra Formentor, use their blind-spot monitoring sensors to play an audio alert to the driver of incoming cyclists, as well as vehicles driving too close.
Wireless charging is another one of those simple innovations that has made cars just that extra bit user-friendly and safer at no substantial additional cost.
With electromagnetic induction, you lose the need for a charging cord, which is not only super convenient, but removes the risk of your phone cable getting caught on something while you’re driving.
They also encourage drivers to keep their phone in a fixed area, instead of, say, mounted to your windscreen where it is more likely to distract.
What about you, do you think there should be more standard features on new cars? And what should they be? Have your say in the comments section below.
Comments