The technology that goes into new cars makes them faster, more efficient, and safer than the vehicles of only a few years ago.

But as well as boosting a car’s under-bonnet abilities, new technology also increases the amount on offer in the way of toys, gadgets and gizmos.

Take a look at these technological reasons why buying a new car is more appealing than ever before.

On-board cameras
Given the size of many cars on the road today, sometimes a simple glance in a rear-view mirror isn’t enough to make sure the area is clear before pulling away.

More and more cars are coming equipped with conveniently placed cameras that give an extra edge when manoeuvring.

Some just assist with reversing, while others also help when you are creeping out of a tight, blind junction.

Models from BMW, Toyota and Mercedes all offer the technology that is impressive as well as useful.

Heads-up display
Once the exclusive preserve of fighter jets, even family hatchbacks are now offering heads-up display systems that projects the speedometer, rev counter and other information onto the windscreen.

They mean the driver needn’t take their eyes off the road to check their speed, and their digital readouts show precisely how fast the car is going.

Peugeot’s new family car, the 3008, is one of the latest to adopt the technology and employs a clever little pop-up screen onto which the information is projected.

Keyless entry and start
Not much could be cooler or more convenient than walking up to your car, opening the door and driving away without taking the key out of your pocket.

This is now possible in a whole range of cars, such as the Renault Laguna, which sense when the key is nearby and allow the car to be opened and started with a button.

Night-vision cameras
Night vision is normally associated with high-tech military operations and other such important organisations.

But now even motorway-bound saloons can share in the futuristic technology that uses thermal imaging to pick out animals and people in the dark.

At the moment it’s limited to big luxury cars such as the Mercedes S Class, but expect it to start appearing in other models as it gets cheaper and more available.

MP3 playing
As the majority of music is downloaded rather than bought on CDs these days, it makes sense for car manufacturers to modify their stereos.

Most will offer a simple aux input socket that allow you to connect your mp3 player to the stereo, but some go a step further.

Hyundai’s i30 will let you connect an MP3 player and control it through the stereo and via the buttons on the steering wheel, meaning you’ll never have to scrabble for a dropped CD again.

Safety first
Safety has come a long way in cars – the seatbelt is 50 years old and the airbag has been around for nearly 30 years.

Now cars offer a whole range of technology that warns you if you stray out of a lane, have something in your blind spot or if you are too close to the car in front.

Some cars will even alert you if you are showing signs of drowsiness.

Bluetooth
Driving while using a hand-held mobile phone has been shown to be as dangerous as drink-driving, so a hands-free kit is imperative for anyone talking on the move.

Many cars now offer the ability to pair your phone to the stereo via the wireless Bluetooth system.

This removes a large chunk of the danger, and gets rid of the need for those silly-looking hands-free earpieces.

Talking navigation
When lost, instead of shouting at a harassed passenger with a map, you can now speak to your car’s satellite navigation system.

Lots of new cars offer built-in navigation systems and now many of those, including Toyota’s new Avensis, offer voice activation.

Press a button on the steering wheel, tell it where you want to go and it pinpoints the destination for you.

A soothing massage
After a long stressful day, a calming massage on the drive home would be a welcome treat.

Several top-end manufacturers are now offering this little luxury, including Mercedes, whose E Class front seats massage and support aching backs.

The little touches
Lots of the gadgets mentioned here can be found on more than one car in similar formats, so sometimes the manufacturers try to go that little step further.

Skoda has chosen to do this by including a free umbrella with its Superb.

Not only is the umbrella included in the price, but it also has its own purpose-built slot in the left rear door.

The only other car on sale that offers such a neat trick is the Rolls-Royce Phantom, so the Skoda is in good company.

Self parking
The ultimate technological advancement has always been regarded as the self-driving car, but the car that takes you to work without any driver input is yet to make it to reality.

What some cars can do is park themselves – several manufacturers, including Audi and Volkswagen, offer systems that guide the car through the parallel parking procedure.

The systems aren’t yet flawless, but with some refinement they could spell the end for scraped alloy wheels forever.