Vehicles of today are becoming more and more advanced.  In the past, drivers are risking their safety by taking their eyes of the road just to change the station on the car radio.

Today, companies like ATX are developing technologies which uses advanced voice technology to make your easier while driving.  Dr. Tom Schalk, vice president of voice technology at ATX has this to say according to The Auto Channel: 

"In a fiercely competitive new car market, it is critical that vehicle manufacturers and their dealers maintain a relationship with their customers as they are using their product. High touch, non-intrusive voice applications enhance customer relationships by providing convenient services without introducing driver distraction."  These technologies will no doubt complement old school fixtures for vehicles such as tie rod ends.

The company's achievement last year included:

• Voice technology was used for the first time as an in-vehicle, relationship marketing tool, as automated voice-delivered invitations were sent to select vehicle owners to test drive a new version of the vehicle model they currently owned. Automated messages also were used to remind owners of the need to winterize their vehicles and how to set their dashboard clocks from daylight savings to standard time.  These Dealer Connect services deliver convenience to drivers and revenue for dealers.•    Sales personnel at automobile dealerships now have a valuable on-demand resource to help new vehicle owners activate and understand their telematics systems. A new automated interactive voice application provides simple and consistent steps for subscription activation, as well as a quick and simple way to provide a showroom demonstration of telematics benefits.
• Parents of infants and toddlers no longer have to determine on their own how to best attach child safety seats to their particular vehicle model. By simply pressing a telematics information button, clear, step- by-step installation instructions are immediately available as part of a completely voice-automated, virtual owner's manual, which offers interactive in-vehicle assistance. The patented solution is designed so that content can be updated off-board and downloaded to the vehicle remotely.
• In the event their car alarm is activated, vehicle owners can be immediately notified with an automated message provided via a speech- enabled outbound dialer that listens and provides customized messages.
• Vehicle owners can download target destinations or points of interest obtained through Web searches on Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps directly to their in-vehicle navigation system. Owners receive an audio confirmation within the vehicle that the download was successful. Soon, drivers will be able to verbally request target-destination downloads from within their vehicles.

The amazing turnaround of events inside the automotive industry was quite a surprise for all of us. As a result, the vastly growing industry has been successful in the present day and it is expected to flourish for the next years to come. The new breed of automakers has gone farther as expected, and it sure confirms that the saying ‘great things start from small beginnings’ is a fact.

A very good example is the Korean-brand Kia Motors. Who would have guessed that this flourishing auto manufacturer will become one of the world’s renowned groups? I myself predicted that this brand won’t be competitive… but I stand corrected! Kia went beyond everybody’s expectations and they proved everyone that they have the hot stuffs as well. Today, Kia is making a big bang in Europe. Oh yeah, the humble Korean-brand captured the hearts of the Europeans with their splendid Kia cee’d model. You better cool down your radiator and check this out.

According to the Auto Channel, the cee’d claimed a lot of titles - not just one but a lot. This car is an 8-time national ‘Car of the Year’-style winner, ranked first in over 30 comparison road tests so far etc. Today, the Kia cee’d model range is Europe’s ‘most decorated’ Korean-brand car ever in the Europe’s automotive records. The company’s accomplishment was proudly announced by Kia Motors Corporation a few days ago.

“We are delighted that the Kia cee’d has been so widely acknowledged around Europe as a genuine contender for C-segment ‘best-in-class’ honours. Everyone at Kia, in Korea and in Europe, made a huge effort to ensure that the Kia cee’d family is exceptionally well styled, well built, keenly priced and has immense appeal for many different groups of European consumers. With its 5-Star EuroNCAP safety rating, cee’d has played a key role in raising Kia brand awareness. Positive media reports, a stream of ‘best car’ awards and a growing number of delighted Kia owners are accelerating demand for cee’d as we enter 2008,” says Mr. Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe.