Affordable Cars With Head-Up Displays
Fancy head-up displays used to be reserved for luxury cars, but the technology is trickling down to more affordable offerings.
You may have seen automakers like Audi and BMW advertising their head-up displays, but did you know they’re available on several vehicles priced under $30,000? The technology has been around for decades now through the aftermarket, but now automakers are equipping their cars from the factory to make it easier for drivers to keep their eyes on the road.
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Here are a few affordable cars that offer head-up displays either as standard, as part of a package, or a standalone option.
Chevrolet
Video courtesy of Bachman Chevrolet
Chevrolet offers various models with head up displays, but the most affordable is the Camaro. The sports car actually offered a head-up display starting with the fifth-generation model and has improved on the technology ever since. Other Chevy cars that have a head-up display include the SS, Corvette, Tahoe, and Suburban, but none of those are particularly affordable.
Honda
Honda currently offers a head-up display on the Clarity only, but that’s only available as a lease. The Japanese automaker, however, is adding the technology on the all-new 2018 Honda Accord that is launching this fall. Pricing has been announced yet, but the head-up display will be available on all Accord models according to a preliminary specification sheet.
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Hyundai
Hyundai is one of the latest automakers to include head-up displays on its vehicles and you can currently find the tech in the Kona and Veloster models. The combiner HUD projects relevant driving information directly to the driver’s line of sight with a projected image size of eight inches at a 6.5-feet distance. The Korean automaker’s HUD features class-leading luminance of more than 10,000 candela per square meter.
Lexus
Several Lexus models now offer a head-up display, including the GS, LX, UX, and LS. In the LS, it’s an impressive 24-inch HUD, projecting key information such as audio, speed, current gear, and RPM onto the windshield. It’s the world’s largest HUD and is also one of the first to connect with Pedestrian Alert and Front-Cross Traffic Alert to help warn drivers if a vehicle or pedestrian is on the path of making an impact with the vehicle.
Unfortunately the Lexus LS isn’t exactly an affordable vehicle. But you can look forward to the much more affordable UX crossover, which will offer a HUD when it arrives in December 2018.
Mazda
Mazda calls its head-up display an “Active Driving Display,” and is available on several models including the Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-3, CX-5, and CX-9. Not all of those fall under the $30,000 affordable price point, but most of them do. Mazda’s Active Driving Display is actually mounted in front of the windshield and over the gauge cluster and was recently updated for the 2017 model year. The 2017 Mazda CX-9 uses a traditional windshield projection.
MINI
MINI’s head-up display is available on its Hatch and Countryman models and displays a variety of information including speed, navigation, and entertainment system info. The full-color display rises from the dash with a push of a button on the MINI Connected console. It costs $500 on the hatch and $750 on the Countryman as a standalone option.
Toyota
Both the standard Prius and the Prius Prime offer a head-up display, and the technology isn’t particularly new to the Prius family. It’s fairly light in terms of features, but it does display the important stuff including speed, turn-by-turn navigation, and battery. The head-up display is only available on specific trim levels on the Prius and Prius Prime.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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