There is no question about it. Cars are getting smarter. At least that is the conclusion we are drawing here at Reno Toyota since seeing a special new Toyota Sienna minivan make its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which is currently underway in sunny California.
What makes this particular Sienna so special you ask?
Well for starters, the vehicle's formal name is the Driver Awareness Research Vehicle. This hi-tech family hauler was built by Toyota as part of a collaborative effort with Microsoft. The companies are working together to advance in-cabin technology that will decrease distracted driving and keep driver's eyeballs on the road.
Company officials concede that today's drivers are facing numerous screens, gauges, and panels when they get behind the wheel of the car and any time spent looking at them is time when the driver's attention is not 100 percent on the road ahead. The Driver Awareness Research Vehicle limits this by presenting the driver with information on traffic, weather, their personal calendar/schedule, navigation and much more on an exterior window panel before the driver even gets in the car. This way when they turn the key the only thing left to do is drive.
Director of Toyota's Collaborative Safety Research Center, Chuck Gulash, commented, "At Toyota, our focus is not only on protecting people in case of an accident, but also on preventing that accident from happening in the first place."1
It could be a long time before this sort of new-age technology will make it to dealerships like Reno Toyota, so until then we will just have to settle for the current lineup of excellent new Toyota models currently in our inventory. To learn more, or to take a test drive, simply call or stop by our location at 2100 Kietzke Lane, Reno, NV. We hope to see you soon.
Source:1http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+driver+awareness+research+vehicle+2013+la+auto+show.htm
