The best car tech for kids

Car companies are moving mountains to win over children, recognising ‘pester power’ as the key to moving metal.

There’s never been a better time to be a kid in the back of a car.

Manufacturers have recognised the ability of “pester power” to help convince mum and dad to buy a new car.

Electric windows and a flip-down armrest were enough to win little ones over in the 1990s.

Now video games, movie screens and comfort to rival limousines are making their way to the school run to help seal the deal for car makers keen to make a sale.

Trips away have become more fun for little ones. Picture: Getty Images

Smartphone mirroring

Forget the CD player or aux cord, smartphone mirroring features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are a brilliant way to stream infotainment from your phone. Wireless versions are even better, allowing kids in the back to pick a podcast or curate a playlist. Some vehicles, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, allow multiple devices to pair with the car at once.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have revolutionised in-car entertainment.

Gaming the system

Forget travel-sized magnetic chess sets, Tesla encourages kids to get behind the wheel and race each other with Beach Buggy games that are fun for all ages. Rivals are getting in on the action – Polestar customers can connect a gamepad to their car to play online games, and BYD’s partnership with NVIDIA will deliver cloud-based gaming to vehicles soon. Lots of cars also have USB-C power outlets to keep personal electronics fully charged.

Tesla sells cars with games built into the dashboard.

Fully sick

Feeling green on a road trip is no fun. Modern tech can help mitigate that in a few ways, such as smart airconditioning that can sense when the cabin air is stale, and make adjustments to keep you fresh. Hyundai’s “baby mode” in the new Tucson Hybrid refines driver inputs to make journeys as smooth as possible, helping little ones get their rest. Mazda does something similar with its “G-Vectoring Control” that makes subtle adjustments to the throttle when cornering, and lots of cars with cruise control automatically slow down when entering a sweeping bend.

Full tums, warm bums

Heated seats are a godsend on chilly days, particularly in cars with leather or vinyl trim. Warm chairs used to be exclusive to front occupants, but they are becoming a more common feature in the rear. Look for little buttons near the window switches or on the back of the centre console, particularly on cars with three or four-zone climate control that let kids set their own temperatures in the back seat.

Smart apps let parents keep an eye on young drivers.

There’s an app for that

Smart apps in modern cars allow you to lock and unlock cars remotely, check on their location and set safe boundaries for young drivers. It means that a kid who left their school bag in the car can retrieve it from the boot without access to the keys. Mum and dad can keep an eye on the speed and location of their car, thanks to connected services available in machines such as the Kia Carnival. BMW owners can send a temporary digital key to the smartphone of friends – or teenage kids – who need to borrow a set of wheels

Child presence detection

This one is serious. Kids die in hot cars, something the industry is trying to stamp out with new features that detect the presence of a child in a car, before taking action to save their life. The best systems will sound an alarm and activate airconditioning to keep kids at a safe temperature while sounding the alert for parents. Some can even call emergency services and unlock doors to prevent tragedy – and these features can be found in affordable models such as the BYD Dolphin. More and more cars now have “safe-exit” features which prevent rear seat passengers from opening the door when another car is passing.

Our picks: Three cars to impress the kids.

The Tesla Model 3 has a video display in the back seat.

Geek squad: Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3’s rear video display, heated back seats and clever games make it hard to beat. It’s a relatively common sight on the road for good reason – there’s lots to love about the latest Teslas. You can relax by a digital fireplace, crack up the kids with fake fart sounds, and even put on a show with flashing lights accompanied by music.

The Skoda Kodiaq is loaded with family-friendly features.

Simply clever: Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda’s Kodiaq family SUV has it all – the doors have hidden umbrellas, rubbish bins and flip-out plastic protectors that prevent kids from causing damage when opening doors. The boot mat is a reversible rubber-backed stroke of genius to save the carpet from muddy gumboots. Like a jetliner, it has folding tray tables and retractable sun blinds. You can even pay extra for a snuggly blanket and special headrests to cradle noggin on long trips.

The Lexus LM has an enormous screen in the back.

Billionaire babies: Lexus LM

Forget about Ferraris if you’re too young to drive – this is the way to ride in style. At least on the inside, anyway.

While the Lexus LM looks like a tarted-up van on the outside, the cabin is a truly decadent space home to a staggering 48-inch ultrawide digital display for a truly cinematic experience. You can order one with seven seats, but the properly posh one has just four – a pair of conventional chairs upfront, and a pair of reclining sofas in the rear that spoil passengers with first-class travel.

Originally published as The best car tech for kids