Technologies that bring a widened view of vehicle surroundings rank as the most valued features of modern cars while some drivers remain unconvinced of the benefits of automated driver assist functions.

This is according to a new international study that has revealed the most, and least, valued technologies among luxury vehicle owners.

The J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study of more than 82,500 respondents, provides an overview of how vehicle owners perceive the increasing advanced array technology available in modern vehicles.

The TXI Index measures how effectively each automotive brand brings these technologies to market, measured on a 1000-point scale.

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The index combines the level of adoption of new technologies for each brand with the excellence in execution. The execution measurement examines how much owners like the technologies and how many problems they experience while using them.

The research found having a wide array of cameras which enhance driving visibility across multiple angles is rated by luxury vehicle owners as the most desired technology.

A camera rear-view mirror has the highest score (894) followed by ground view camera (884).

Similarly, in the mass market segment, camera rear-view mirror also receives the highest overall score (889), followed by transparent trailer view (874) and ground view camera (858).

Among luxury owners, interior gesture controls – technology that allows the user to control various features in the vehicle using hand gestures instead of touching anything – is the lowest-rated technology by far across all satisfaction attributes. The technology is not yet available in mass market vehicles.

Owners who have this feature on their vehicle experience a high rate of problems (36 problems per 100 vehicles), which is more than twice the rate of the next closest technology.

A high proportion (61 per cent) of these owners use the technology less than half of the time they drive. There are 14 per cent of owners who admit having never tried it while 16 per cent have tried it but no longer use it.

The research also found many owners don’t trust technologies necessary for more automated driving.

Active driving assistance is designed so that the vehicle is able to perform functions such as acceleration, braking and steering, while the driver remains engaged in the driving task.

Some drivers mention the positive experience they have from using the system (e.g., lower stress and arriving at their destination more refreshed), yet this necessary step to achieve higher levels of automated driving is failing to earn the trust of most drivers who consider it to be annoying or distracting.

According to the study authors, there is wide variation in the execution strategy across brands for how the technology works and when or why it engages.

“The race never ends to develop ‘must have’ vehicle technologies,’’ said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction and human machine interface research at J.D. Power.

Kolodge said new technology continues to be a primary factor in the vehicle purchase decision.

“However, it’s critical for automakers to offer features that owners find intuitive and reliable. The user experience plays a major role in whether an owner will use the technology on a regular basis or abandon it and feel like they wasted their money.’’

Out of all the brands involved in the survey researchers found Volvo’s implementation of vehicle technology ranked higher than any other brand for its level of innovation, with the company’s Oncoming Lane Mitigation (known as Automatic Emergency Steering in the study), Cross Traffic Alert with auto brake (Front and Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Automatic Braking), and Pilot Assist (Active Driving Assistance) being the most valued technologies.