(NC) Automotive technology is accelerating at a rapid pace, with a key focus on enhancing safety features through driver assistance technologies and improving connectivity. If you’re in the market for a new car and want the newest, smartest features for your ride, these are the ones to ask for:

Lane keeping assist
This useful feature can help with all kinds of trips. Most lane-keeping assist systems use a forward-looking camera to detect lane markings in front of the vehicle. The system will apply a brief corrective action, such as steering or braking, if your car starts to drift outside the lane without using a turn signal.

Wi-Fi
Vehicles enabled with Wi-Fi are becoming more common and offer many benefits to those who have this feature. Pros can include live traffic updates, easy navigation, weather reports, satellite music and access to emergency services. Passengers also benefit with the ability to view shows and movies and play games on the go.

Voice recognition
With voice recognition technology, drivers can make or receive calls, listen and reply to text messages, get navigational directions, use multimedia such as music or videos, and, in some cases, even start the vehicle – all while keeping their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

Remote parking assistance
This feature allows you to park your car with the touch of a button. Remote parking assistance will move your vehicle into or out of a parking space while you supervise from outside the vehicle. It provides steering, braking and acceleration, and can change gears while moving the vehicle into or out of a parking space. It is operated by pressing an external device, like a mobile phone or key fob, and the vehicle will stop when the button is released.