Cool Cars with Awesome Features

This article has been written by? Matt? Vella for Business Week Online.

Take a look at 10 new autos that have pushed the envelope in terms of safety, performance, and fuel efficiency

The auto industry loves its jargon, from superchargers to flex-fuels. And, though carmakers never fail to coin bigger and better terms, the cars they make largely improve along the same lines they always have: fuels, performance, and safety. BusinessWeek.com took a look at some of the most innovative cars on the road, from the fastest and most furious to the safest and most fuel-miserly.

Swede Speed - Koenigsegg CCR/CCX

Price: $722,534
Innovation: Performance

Until last year, Koenigsegg was a little-known independent supercar manufacturer quietly toiling away in northern Sweden. It took a decade, but last year their CCR model took the Guinness World Record for speed in a production car, granting them the attention and accolades of car fans around the world. Now, the new kings of Swede speed have released the CCX, which is street- and emissions-legal in the U.S. — including the world’s largest supercar market, California. Not to worry, the CCX maintains the CCR’s incredible 245 mph speed rating.

Scared Safe - Volkswagen Jetta

Price: $17,900
Innovation: Safety

Those who have seen Volkswagen’s jarring new Jetta ads can testify to the manufacturer’s confidence in the little sedan’s safety. The commercials feature regular drivers in the car enjoying humdrum conversation when, without warning, a severe collision occurs. The shock gives way to an impressive list of standard safety features for such a small and inexpensive vehicle. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Jetta its top rating in every individual measurement category. That’s something no other vehicle in that class has ever accomplished.

Sweet Diesel - Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI

Price: $51,825
Innovation: Fuel

Diesel’s nothing new. In the U.S., clean, low-sulfur diesel that doesn’t stink is. Though Europeans greatly favor the more efficient fuel, Americans have yet to widely embrace it in passenger vehicles. That’s about to change, as auto makers prepare a new wave of diesel-drinking cars that, on average, get about 30% better fuel economy than the exact same gasoline-powered vehicles. Mercedes-Benz’s E320 CDI, one of the first on sale here, gets between 27 and 37 mpg. And in a big luxury sedan that’s quite a feat.

Super/Cheap - Ford Shelby GT 500 Mustang

Price: $42,975
Innovation: Performance

Carroll Shelby is a living legend. The racer and tuner extraordinaire, after whom this new and ultimate Mustang is named, helped design the upcoming top-end muscle car. Besides sporting the classic Ford Cobra-line racing stripes and aggressive stance, the car shares a host of technologies with Ford’s retiring supercar, the GT, which costs more than three times as much. In fact, 500 horses for just about $45,000 is unheard of.

Accident Proof - Volvo V70

Price: $29,805
Innovation: Safety

V70s have been some of the safest cars on the road for years. That’s partly due to the wagon’s large size. Simply put, accidents happen “farther away” from occupants than in sedans and even many sport utility vehicles. But that hasn’t stopped the manufacturer — the company that invented the three-point seat belt in 1959 — from cramming the car with an astonishingly long list of safety features, even for a Volvo. In the event of a crash, seats automatically position themselves to minimize whiplash. And dynamic stabilization control can apply brakes to each of the four wheels independently to prevent the car from sliding on wet or icy surfaces. What’s more, upcoming versions will integrate tiny cameras into the frame to detect dangers and help avoid accidents caused by driver inattention or fatigue.

Big Green - Saturn Vue Green Line

Price: $22,995
Innovation: Fuel

Many have criticized General Motors for moving too slowly to adopt hybrid technology. But the upcoming Saturn Vue Green Line ought to help alter that perception. Though considered a “mild hybrid” for its moderate adoption of electric technologies, the Vue has received an EPA rating of 32 mpg, the highest highway rating ever for an SUV. The Vue squeezes extra mileage performance from better aerodynamics than other small SUVs, as well as from more traditional hybrid tricks like not using fuel while slowing down. Saturn’s other big innovation? The price. The Vue is about $4,000 less than its closest competitor, the Ford Escape Hybrid.

In Your Dreams - Bugatti Veyron

Price: $1.3 million
Innovation: Performance

The Veyron’s factory figures are enough to make even the mildest car fan drool: 1,001 horses, 922 foot-pounds of torque, 16 cylinder engine — the product of a Frankenstein-esque mating of two six cylinder motors and four turbochargers. For the uninitiated, those specs mean the Bugatti can go from 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds and reach top speeds of 253 mph. Its reality was doubted by many when the Veyron was proposed as a concept by top execs at VW, but the car is indeed in production. At $1.3 million, it’s an innovation that’s likely to reach a limited few.

Full Of Beans? - Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD

Price: Not yet announced
Innovation: Fuel

DaimlerChrysler’s Jeep brand vehicles are known for many things: versatility, off-road prowess, durability, and industry-leading four-wheel drive. But, what Jeeps have rarely been considered is environmentally friendly. That just might change with the new Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD. This new Jeep is equipped with a diesel engine. Even better, the company has previously promoted the use of biodiesel fuel – made from the likes of recycled vegetable oil or crops such as soybeans — with its retiring Jeep Liberty CRD. That little SUV was even filled with B5 fuel, a biodiesel variant, at the assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio. Now, all that’s left to see is if they repeat the forward-looking move with the upcoming diesel Grand Cherokee.

Seeing Eye - BMW 5 Series 550i

Price: $58,500
Innovation: Safety

Not content to cede the luxury safety ground to rival Mercedes-Benz, BMW has been busily pioneering whiz-bang safety features for its most luxurious vehicles. Active Cruise Control, available as an option on the 5 Series sedan, uses a a three-beam radar sensor to monitor the road ahead. Unlike conventional cruise control systems, BMW’s ACC system is able dynamically to adjust the auto’s speed to match surrounding traffic conditions.

Fast and Lean - Lexus GS 450h

Price: $55,595
Innovation: Fuel

Having scored a surprise home run with the Prius, Toyota is getting ready to come back to bat with its luxury division, Lexus. The GS 450h is Toyota’s attempt to repeat the magic with more affluent customers who can’t abide sluggish acceleration or dowdy looks. Luckily, the new sedan manages to get between 25 and 28 mpg while maintaining classic luxury features like push-button suspension adjustments and a refined cabin interior.

-Varma