Talking headrests and pet mode – the craziest ideas of the IAA

High-displacement engines used to be the be-all and end-all of the International Motor Show (IAA). That's gone now that most new models are either fully electric or, as hybrid models, primarily designed to be economical, clean, and quiet. But what is important to drivers today, besides design? Above all, the digital features in the car. And sometimes even very practical gadgets. We present a few highlights from our IAA tour.

Some of the luxury cars from China have a "Pet Mode" on board. To prevent your pet from collapsing in the car while parking, the vehicle rolls up all the windows, locks the doors, and turns on the air conditioning—thus ensuring a comfortable temperature. This isn't entirely new, though; Tesla has had a Pet Mode for some time.

As we launch navigation mode in the Xpeng P7+, a Chinese woman's voice suddenly speaks behind us. But this time, there's no Chinese influencer filming in the back seat. The answer: The headrest is talking. An interesting idea for anyone who usually has to turn up their navigation volume to 70 decibels.

Many Chinese manufacturers also seem to have copied Tesla's pointless infotainment system gimmicks. The Deepal 07, for example, features a "dance mode." While party music blares inside, all the headlights and daytime running lights flash alternately outside.

Modern cars don't just use cameras to monitor the road, but the entire area around the car. The Xpeng P7 has four HD cameras that can be individually controlled at the touch of a finger. Curbs, obstacles, and even pedestrians appear in razor-sharp detail on the large screen. Another trend that has been around for some time and is gaining traction at the IAA: exterior and interior mirrors are being replaced by cameras. With the interior mirror, this provides a better overview of the rear in all visibility conditions. However, these changes are also due to the car's design. The Polestar 4 and 5 models, for example, no longer have a rear window at all .

However, the ideas aren't always digital in nature. Sometimes it's simply about saving money. For example, in Chinese cars, the vanity mirror covers are often no longer the traditional sliding covers. Instead, there are LED panels in the sun visors, covered with a flexible cover like an iPad.

And for the Volkswagen ID.Cross, which goes into production in 2026, the engineers have come up with a solution for the charging cable. This often takes up space in the trunk. In the Cross, you can simply fold up the rear seat cushion to create space for the cable.