Despite vehicles like the Nissan Pathfinder still existing, an utterly outmoded SUV named and made to look like a total badass off-roader of a car but won’t do more than get the family to your regular everyday places, there are some present day cars that exclaim loud and clear that “the future is now”. There are several brands, including Nissan, designing vehicles that look like they’ve driven right out of some over-the-top sci-fi film and sport features that seem impossible, but they are as real as it gets and anyone with the money can get themselves behind the wheel to experience them for themselves.
Nissan Ariya
The Ariya is described by Nissan as the “ultimate expression of style and technology”, and with its design aesthetic of “Timeless Japanese Futurism”, it sure is a unique and standout car in the typically mainstream range. Up front, the Ariya’s V-Motion grille demands attention with 20 LED lights that illuminate Nissan’s new logo which is displayed atop a 3D pattern. The aerodynamic grille also houses the Ariya’s ProPilot advanced driver-assist sensing system apparatus. Moving to the inside sees two large 12.3-inch displays – one perched affront the driver as the instrument cluster and the other located within the center dash as the infotainment center.
As an electric crossover, the Ariya’s performance is pretty impressive, the front-wheel-drive models equipped with the 87 kWh battery pack capable of reaching up to 300 miles on a single charge, that is about on par with top offerings from EV pioneers, Tesla. The all-wheel-drive models come outfitted with Nissan’s new e-4ORCE system – a drivetrain setup that borrows technology from the torque-split system in the famous Nissan GT-R.
Mercedes Benz EQS
A wide yet slender physique combined with an aggressive front end and coupe-styled rear make the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan look like it drove straight out of your favorite sci-fi. Climb into the cabin and you’d certainly be fooled into thinking you’re in one of the spaceships from that sci-fi. Splayed across the entire dashboard is a full-width MBUX Hyperscreen that spans over 56 inches in width. It’s made up of a 12.3-inch drivers display, 17.7-inch central display, and another 12.3-inch passenger-side display.
That’s just the start to the futuristic aesthetic and ultra-advanced specs with 190 LEDs designated to the active ambient lighting setup, no less than 350 sensors working for the driver-assist and safety suite, and specced out seats that feature a Power Nap function which when activated reclines the seat, closes the panoramic sunroofs sunshade, and more to create a calm atmosphere.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
Known for its muscle-car design and raw performance, the Ford Mustang now takes on a new agenda, a futuristic one as a performance EV. It keeps its pony car aesthetic but combines it with a more contemporary look. Under the hood in place of the usually robust and loud combustion engine you’d find in a pony car, it features one of many electric motor options with outputs varying between 266 and 480 horsepower. The fastest version sprints from 0-60 mph in as little as 3.5 seconds. In terms of technology, the Mach-E comes pre-installed with Ford’s own version of autonomous driving capabilities – Ford Co-Pilot360 Active Drive Assist system which includes a network of 100,000 miles of highways in the USA and Canada.
Rivian R1T Truck
The Rivian R1T is a brutal contender within the EV space, bringing with it a genuinely futuristic and one-of-a-kind aesthetic and performance figures that really push the boundaries of EV capabilities. On a straight, the large midsize pickup truck can launch from 0-60 mph in around three seconds flat. Rivian claims that certain models will be able to reach over 400 miles on a single charge, a figure that is yet to be matched by even Tesla. The truck will also be able to tow up to a maximum of 11,000 pounds thanks to 750 hp and its flexible ‘skateboard’ chassis, quad electric motors, and independent air suspension. Rivian also claims that even the largest battery pack that’ll be offered will be able to be charged from five to 80 percent in under an hour.A futuristic and minimalist cabin sets the tone for the interior, and advanced specs like Level 3 autonomous driving is just the start.
Aston Martin Valhalla
Within the hypercar arena, the Aston Martin Valhalla leads the race to futurism. It was designed and built in partnership with the Red Bull Formula 1 team and will even feature in the upcoming James Bond movie. Its duckbill front end, prominent front, side, and rear air intakes and vent lend to its very out-of-ordinary aesthetic. A twin-turbocharged hybridized V6 engine will deliver all the power from the middle of the lightweight racer. Only 500 iterations of the Valhalla will ever be made and with an MSRP of well over one million dollars, the Valhalla will likely not be the car of the future, but an interesting rarity of its time. One would be lucky to even get to test drive this novelty.
The above cars along with a massive swarm of others has given us a peek into the future of automation, and wow did the slew of sci-fi movies and games of our century get it pretty accurate.