Hoping  to make the 308 Touring even more attractive to new car buyers as summer approaches, Peugeot Australia is offering a complimentary 'Flex' pack (pictured) for its 308 Touring model.

Falling asleep at the wheel claims numerous lives each year, especially in rural and night-time driving. To counteract this deadly problem, Mercedes-Benz has developed the Attention Assist system and plans to roll-out the safety device in its production cars from early next year.

While most carmakers attempt to improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles by shedding weight, improving aerodynamics or downsizing engines, Nissan is taking a slightly different approach by conditioning motorists to drive more conservatively. Nissan unveiled today a new device called the ECO Pedal that works by activating a counter ‘push-back’ force on the accelerator pedal every time the driver puts his or her foot down.

Microsoft today announced that it will expand its automotive business unit with a number of new interface software systems and electronic services expected to be rolled out over the next couple of years. The software giant has already partnered with Ford in the U.S. for its Sync program, and with Fiat for its globally available Blue&Me range of in-car connectivity technology, but the new program aims to get Microsoft more involved in the industry and the future of in-car computer systems and services.

Tesla, the makers of the Lotus Elise-based Roadster electric vehicle (EV), has been known for some time to have a sedan in development as well, codenamed ‘Whitestar’. That car is expected to cost about half as much as the Roadster, priced at around US$100,000, and be built in much greater volume. Now Tesla’s chairman of the board, Elon Musk, is talking about the third car to bear the Tesla name, and it’s targeting a sub-US$30,000 price tag and production of about 200,000 units per year.

As the proportion of older drivers in the world’s leading nations grows, carmakers are finding new avenues for the technological advancement of safe driving. Taking a new angle on the head-up display (HUD) concept, General Motors is working on a prototype windshield system that enhances the driver’s view of the world instead of obstructing it with overlaid information.

Ford is currently testing an advanced hazard warning system near its main U.S. R&D centre in Detroit dubbed the ‘smart intersection.’ The system relies on GPS and wireless communication technologies to enable traffic lights and street signs to send warnings to approaching vehicles, something Ford hopes could eventually reduce traffic accidents and ease congestion.

Car companies usually release a number of concepts over the course of a year to showcase their new technologies, future design strategies, and preview new models.

Volkswagen, on the other hand, has taken a step further and showcased vehicle concepts designed for twenty years in the future, a world where technology and motoring go hand in hand and today’s “alternative fuels” are the norm.

Mazda has committed itself to an ambitious goal of cutting the fuel-consumption of its entire fleet by an average of 30% by 2015 as part of a greater program to introduce a raft of new environmentally-friendly technologies in its vehicles. Mazda plans to achieve the significant improvement in efficiency with a completely renewed powertrain lineup and a new generation of lighter vehicle platforms and fuel-saving technologies.