Kelley Blue Book Names 2019 Best Auto Tech Award Winners

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology has blossomed into one of the last great differentiators among competing vehicles, and today Kelley Blue Book has named the 2019 Best Auto Tech Award winners that continue to push the digital envelope. The Best Auto Tech Awards honor the models with the most advanced infotainment, convenience and active safety features at a great value to car buyers.

"Though many cars today offer loads of cutting-edge technology at increasingly attainable prices, two vehicles went above and far beyond the offerings of the competition, not only with the amount of features they offer, but the quality of execution," said Michael Harley, executive editor for Kelley Blue Book. "The 2019 Ram 1500's technology makes towing safer, adds power while improving fuel economy and enhances the truck's already forward-thinking, luxurious interior. The 2019 Tesla Model 3 uses technology to enhance the car's luxury appeal – making connectivity and the use of driver assist and infotainment systems seamless."   

2019 Kelley Blue Book Best Auto Tech: 2019 Ram 1500
The all-new-for-2019 Ram 1500 exemplifies the use of technology to advance what a vehicle is capable of. The 2019 Ram 1500 is available with more than 100 safety features, including advanced safety aids you would expect to see in a premium sedan or SUV: adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic detection, lane-departure warning, a 360-degree surround-view camera, and a guidance assist that helps when parallel parking or maneuvering into a perpendicular space. One of the most impressive, though, is something that's tremendously helpful to truck owners who tow. Connect your trailer to the Ram and within seconds the truck automatically determines the length of the trailer. Once this calculation is done, the Ram's blind-spot monitoring system also takes note of what is on either side of the trailer and alerts the driver if there is a vehicle or object there. Ram uses technology to make the 1500 safer, more efficient, and more luxurious, all in a truck that's more capable than the model it replaces. That this company made an excellent truck even better thanks to use of smart, intuitive tech is why it has earned our 2019 Best Auto Tech Award.

2019 Kelley Blue Book Best Auto Tech - Luxury: 2019 Tesla Model 3
Technology and luxury vehicles go hand in hand. Logical, as the premium segment's shoppers demand that their vehicles effortlessly communicate with their smart phones, provide innovative infotainment functionality, and offer the latest in active safety features. This is a considerable challenge for automakers — fail to seamlessly integrate technology within the vehicle and the driver will be dangerously overwhelmed and confused. Tesla's Model 3 earns the 2019 Kelley Blue Book Best Auto Tech award for Luxury Vehicles because it accomplishes all the objectives with a minimalist driver interface — a single 15-inch high-resolution touch screen mounted at the center of the dashboard — and logical, easy-to-use software. Even the three-spoke steering wheel is clean and uncomplicated, adorned with nothing but a single multifunction scroll wheel on each horizontal spoke.

The systems featured in both models delivered on the automakers' promise of enhancing the driving experience and safety quotient without adding complexity. And when distilled down to its essence, that's what the best in-vehicle tech is all about.

For more information about the 2019 Kelley Blue Book Best Auto Tech Awards, including photos, additional commentary, and more, visit https://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/best-auto-tech-awards/2000012788/. For the 10 Best Automotive Technologies of 2019, visit https://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/best-car-technologies/2100004818/.

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About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week, the company provides market-reflective values on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor tool, which provides a range for what consumers can reasonably expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. Car owners looking to sell immediately can also get a redeemable, transaction-ready offer with Kelley Blue Book^SM Instant Cash Offer. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book launched its first international consumer-facing site in 2017. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling and owning cars easier for everyone, while also enabling mobility services. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader^®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com^®, Dealertrack^®, Kelley Blue Book^®, Manheim^®, NextGear Capital^®, VinSolutions^®, vAuto^® and Xtime^®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book