The Truck Trend Top 15

Useful technology was a high priority at this year's various auto shows. With some well-known and well-respected brand names falling like lead balloons in various owner surveys, great pains were taken to explain new technologies and their respective benefits.

What is useful technology? It's something that assists the driver's eyes, ears, and equilibrium, though not necessarily required for basic vehicle function. In some cases, it might seem like a complicated replacement for simple common sense, but there are always reasons why manufacturers choose these upgrades.

The technologies profiled here, in no particular order, represent the trends in vehicle design, that, like it or not, could one day become standard equipment on your truck.

Better Ride Through Sound
Bose, the company best known for its audio wares, is developing an electromagnetic semi-active suspension that could be the single most important suspension improvement since the invention of the leaf spring. A large electromagnetic strut at each corner absorbs road imperfections, altering the voltage as it detects up and down forces on the wheels; as a result, it pushes down or pulls up the wheel to smooth the road or flatten a tight corner. The system is proactive enough to counter driver-induced pitch, roll, or dive, and reactive enough to wipe away road-surface irregularities, bumps, or dips. We're told the drain on the engine is less than two horsepower and could make it to a production vehicle later this decade (we're guessing in a Cadillac product).