- The 2019 Los Angeles auto show is putting electric vehicles on display in big numbers this year.
- Hidden within the new vehicles themselves are some exciting new features that are moving the industry forward in ways once unimagined.
- Read on to see the 10 coolest features we’re finding on the show floor this year.
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The 2019 Los Angeles auto show is in full swing, with a bevy of new electrified models and concepts headlining the show. But hidden within the new vehicles themselves were a host of gee-whiz features you might have missed. With that in mind, here’s a rundown of the ten coolest features on the show floor of the 2019 LA show.
David Undercoffler is the editor-in-chief of Autolist and a freelance contributor for Business Insider.
1.) Side-view cameras on Audi e-tron Sportback
We’ll start with the bad news: this feature won’t be on US models since technically side-view camera systems like this (in place of mirrors) aren’t allowed under US Department of Transportation rules. Until those outdated rules are changed, we’ll miss out on this slick setup.
It uses small cameras mounted in place of side-view mirrors and projects an image onto small OLED screens mounted on the inside of the front doors. Even cooler? Drivers can use their fingers to reposition the display on the screen, and the cameras have three default settings: highway, parking, and tight turning.
How side-view cameras work
It uses small cameras mounted in place of side-view mirrors and projects an image onto small OLED screens mounted on the inside of the front doors. Even cooler? Drivers can use their fingers to reposition the display on the screen, and the cameras have three default settings: highway, parking, and tight turning.
2.) VW ID. Space Vizzion AppleSkin seats
More than a few buyers of electric vehicles have complained that the eco-cred of the car is hampered by the fact that it uses leather on its seats and various interior trim pieces. Thus, a vegan interior movement is starting to gain traction.
VW's solution on the all-electric Space Vizzion concept wagon (previewing a production model due in the US in 2022)? Something called AppleSkin seats. They use a byproduct of apple juice to create a material that feels like leather but uses no animal skins whatsoever.
3.) Land Rover Defender Adventure Pack
Land Rover's long-awaited Defender SUV offers an array of option packages aimed at helping owners enjoy the great outdoors via their shiny Land Rover.
The coolest is the Adventure Pack, which comes with things like an integrated air compressor, a side-mounted waterproof exterior bin for extra gear, and a portable rinse system to clean off muddy gear or sandy toes. While Land Rover doesn't mention the cleaning of pets ala Aston's DBX Pet Pack, we bet Fido wouldn't mind a rinse in this system either.
4.) Aston Martin DBX Pet Pack
Aston Martin is out with its first-ever crossover SUV, the 542-horsepower DBX. In addition to a bevy of your traditional ultra-luxe features, the DBX also offers the Pet Pack.
What the Aston Martin pet pack includes
This feature includes a partitioned space in the cargo area for your four-legged friends, plus a bumper protector to avoid scratches, and a portable pet washer to keep Fido clear -- or more importantly -- the leather inside the $200,000 DBX clean.
5.) Hyundai Vision T headlights and grille
Hyundai used the LA show to unveil the Vision T Plug-in Hybrid concept, a preview of what the next-generation Tucson compact crossover will probably look like. Our favorite part? The integrated grille and headlight design.
When the vehicle is turned off, the dark chrome of the grille and headlights look like a single unit made up of many geometric pieces. Turn the headlights on, however, and the pieces of the grille hiding the headlights suddenly illuminate. It's a trick that could actually make it to production, given a similar trick on the all-new Hyundai Sonata.
6.) Ford Mustang Mach-E phone-as-key
This feature has been seen on other models, but it's still cool. The Mach-E will allow owners to use their Bluetooth-connected smartphone to unlock the EV, start it, and drive it, all without using a traditional key or removing their phone from their pocket or purse.
Add in wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and you have full access to the Mach-E and smartphone connectivity without ever needing to actually touch your phone.
7.) Ford Mach-E frunk as cooler
Most EV's have a frunk -- a front trunk that allows users to store cargo in the space that is typically taken up by the gas engine at the front of the car. Ford's Mach-E takes this one step further, adding a drainage plug at the bottom of it, and giving it cooler-like functionality. Not in the mood to tailgate? This Ford's frunk can also hold a suitcase.
8.) Headlights on BMW M8 First Edition
To celebrate the launch of BMW's new M8 Gran Coupe - a four-door, 617-horsepower sports coupe - the brand is offered a limited-edition version called the First Edition, of which just 400 copies will be made.
In addition to a slick green paint job, brushed gold/bronze exterior accents, and other trim upgrades, this model also comes with trick adaptive LED headlights that will glow in a cool yellow beam, reminiscent of the yellow fog lights popular in the 1980s and 1990s on European cars and generally illegal on US roads.
9.) Paint on Audi's RS6 Avant
Audi has finally heeded enthusiasts' calls and is bringing the fire-breathing RS6 Avant (that's station wagon in Audi parlance) to the US market for the first time. This model packs a twin-turbo V8 engine that makes 592 horsepower and will do 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds.
Making the package even sweeter is the color of the model that they had on the floor of this year's LA auto show. Audi calls it Sebring Black, and it will be available on the RS6 Avant when it hits the U.S. market in 2020.
10.) Monoblock Wheels on the Mercedes-Benz GLS AMG 63
The surprise wasn't that Mercedes-AMG used the 2019 LA auto show to debut the new 2021 GLS AMG 63, a 603-horsepower, twin-turbo V8, three-row behemoth of an SUV.
The surprise was the ultra-cool 23-inch Monoblock rims that will be available on this model. The rims harken back to the monoblock rims that AMG used on earlier models in the 1980s and 1990s, and they add conspicuous presence to the already imposing GLS.