Design


From a design approach, things continue to get sleeker and sharp- er. The new Hyundai Sonata and its corporate twin the Kia Optima are low slung and offer nice lines with rich detail for bargain prices. BMWs keep getting smaller, and Minis keep getting bigger. Any- body that walks past a Cadillac CTS-V Coupe and doesn’t do a double-take at the sinister scowl on the front end and the sweet centered concept-car-like exhaust doesn’t have any testosterone in their body. Mazda, which led the way several ways ago in putting a bit of sweep into its designs, now looks outdated on nearly every front. Toyotas seem to multiply when you get water on them as they now have a car in every mar- ket slot available. Scion’s new IQ looks pretty tough, but is about the size of my shoe. Ford’s newly redesigned Explorer, now based on the Ford Taurus chassis, is hardly recognizable, but aims to meet the needs of its loyal buyers via the huge amounts of data Ford has collected on Explorer drivers. From an integrator’s point of


view, dashboards have long been trekking to the point where so much of the dash is integrated with the face of the radio and other controls were built-in that it was difficult, or much more expen- sive, to replace a radio. This pace is quickening though, as touch- screen interfaces and controls for various features of the vehicle are part of the central display so much so that the only viable op- tion may be applying a JBL MS-8 or Audison Bit One to the OEM head unit and creating a custom- ized system from there. There are still a few vehicles


left out there with Double DIN head units,


but they are few


and far between, and will likely be phased out soon. Every new model introduced this year or that


has been refreshed now incorpo- rates a fully integrated panel and switchgear. Fortunately, the OEM speakers and amplifiers are still not anywhere near what the af- termarket can provide in terms of cost, quality, or impact, so there is still plenty of business out there.


Technology A very gradual change over the


last couple of years has been the inclusion of auxiliary input features, in various forms and function, in OEM audio systems. This year, however, indicates that the manufacturers have finally re- alized the need for this as nearly every vehicle from every manu- facturer has the feature available on at least one or more trim lev- els. These range from a standard 3.5MM jack on the face of the radio in vehicles that are nearing the end of their current design cycle, to full-on RCA Audio/Video, 3.5MM jack, and multiple USB 2.0 ports in the consoles of new- ly redesigned ones. Something to note on some of these systems is that full speed music browsing, or proper charging, is not always available on these USB ports in some vehicles. Kia and Hyun- dai both feature vehicles with a 3.5MM jack and a USB port in the front of the center console, but plugging an iPod in will result in the power cycling of the iPod and an error that the device is unusable by the system. This par- ticular issue can be remedied by a proprietary cable available at the dealership. Mini’s new Cooper Countryman interior provides user configu- rable accent lighting, along with long strips of plastic in the cen- ter console using new technology that allows infinitely adjustable color and intensity from LEDs that light the plastic evenly, elimi- nating the need to hide the LED strips under other panels or be-


hind trim panels. While this may not immediately strike you as earth-shattering, the simple fact that this packaging provides con- sistent,


reflection-free lighting


opens the door for new uses for it in the cockpit of many new cars. Chrysler has introduced a large 8.4-inch touchscreen radio that is standard on the redesigned 300, and it includes Sirius satellite ra- dio and Travel Link, and can be optioned with a Garmin-engineered navigation system. The redesigned Dodge Charger, its chassis-mate, includes touchscreen as standard equipment too, but is a small by comparison 4.3-inch unit. Both ve- hicles offer upscale treatment to the interior and new styling to the front and rear fascia to round out the design.


Hyundai debuted the 20122DR Hatchback called the Veloster, which


demonstrates a new


younger look to the line, and rep- resents what seems to be a solid entry-level, high-economy ride for young buyers. Besides the 7-inch touchscreen display and Pandora Internet radio


capability is the


full suite of auxiliary input con- nections, and the ability to play video files straight from USB 2.0 thumb-drives. Combine this func- tionality with a projected 40 mpg rating on the highway starting around $17,000 and you have a great candidate for some custom subwoofer boxes and some cus- tom kick panels and door pods. As I have suggested many times before to a number of retailers across the country,


I encourage


you to go out and visit the local car dealerships so you can become familiar with what the vehicles have to offer, and possibly even work with the dealership to offer an upgrade program they can bun- dle with the purchase price of the vehicle. This two-way street will no doubt come in handy should you ever need their assistance down the road. ■


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