2021 CNB Viewers' Choice Award: Tech/Gadget Of The Year Nominees

It has been a tough year for the auto industry thanks to the pandemic. But slowly but surely, it is starting to rebound. This reinvigoration is happening on the bedrock of innovation and progression of technology. So this year at carandbike we have the tech/gadget viewers choice award of the year honouring the things that have made life easier and are just plain cool.

Also Read: 2021 CNB Viewers' Choice Awards; Car Of The Year Nominees

• Hyundai Creta in-built air purifier:
  

  The Creta was one of the first mainstream vehicles to add an air purifier

  Air Pollution is a real problem especially in urban India, more so in North India. So an air purifier isn't just a cool thing to have but a necessity. Hyundai as a group has taken the lead with air purification which it started with the new-generation Creta, which has made the cabin of one of India's best selling SUV, well more breathable.
• Kia Sonet Bose sound system with Mood Lamps and 10.25-inch display:
  

  Kia Sonet has one of the swankiest sound systems and instrument clusters

  In the recent past, the one thing that has greatly improved is the in-car audio experience. On a sub-compact SUV like the new Kia Sonet, things have reached a whole new level with a premium Bose sound system. Now Bose is more known for its sleek home audio products and noise-cancelling headphones but these bad boys on the Sonet aren't too shabby and can be tamed in a way to suit your aural tastes as well. It also helps that this car comes with very neat mood lighting which uplifts the ambience and the vibe of the cabin. All of this is coupled with a 10.25-inch screen which is easily the largest in the segment and also almost as big as an iPad. This makes it one of the most usable screens on a sub-compact SUV. These features used to be exclusive to luxury vehicles so it is nice to see them trickle down to a more mass-market vehicle like the Sonet.
• MG ZSEV iSmart Virtual Assistant:
  

  It's one of the first virtual assistant's that is focussed on the features of the car

  When one thinks of a digital assistant, then the mind flies directly towards Siri, Alexa or the Google Assistant. But we are in the age of a new type of assistant, in the case of the MG ZS EV, the iSmart Virtual Assistant is one which helps keep a tab on the cars smart features. It works quite decently as it is able to understand the Indian accent and can control quite a host of features apart from basic calling and music selection.
• Nissan Magnite digital instrument cluster:
  

  The digital dashboard on the Magnite is cool to look at and very handy

  One of the highlights of the new Nissan Magnite is its magnetic digital instrument cluster which lights up with swanky graphics that are right out of Nintendo video game console from the 90s and host of features that include a tyre pressure monitor and an advanced trip computer which also analyses how you're driving the car. It is pretty neat considering the starting price of the vehicle which makes this a sweeter deal.
• Royal Enfield Meteor Tripper App:
  

  The tripper interface on Royal Enfield's new Meteor is handy navigation system

  Smart connected features are also now landing up on bikes and Royal Enfield is taking the lead on this. It works in tandem with the display on the instrument cluster of the Meteor 350 and an app called Tripper giving turn-by-turn navigation in a simple and intuitive way. It is actually part of the Royal Enfield app and ties in with Google Maps and places. The best bit is that it caches navigation data which means that if you pass through a no-network zone, you will not lose the mapping system.
• Tata Nexon iRA connectivity suite:
  

  The Nexon iRA connectivity suit is packed with features and very is simple in use.

  The Tata Nexon has a new iRA connectivity stack which works with an Android and iOS app. It basically replicates all key features of the car via the app - it shows the fuel levels, the climate control can be adjusted and turn on or off the AC, control the audio experience and tweak it. The best bit is that the user interface of the app is very logical and refined which makes you use it even more.