Some are very useful and already missed, but others have become anachronism and few fans will miss them
In the last 10 years, national cars have gained a lot of content. The Renault Kwid, the cheapest car in the country, already comes with electric windows, air conditioning, power steering and four airbags. But during this evolution, some equipment was removed from cars and you didn’t even notice it.
Some cuts can be justified with the arrival of other alternatives or with the change in the habits of the public. The gain in reliability also allowed the elimination of some items. However, the cost cut continues to affect, the same hand that gives a digital panel can take another item.
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The 12-volt outlet is something old in cars, but its use was to be used as a cigarette lighter. Awareness against smoking caused the end of the ashtray and this lighter, but the outlet was kept to energize equipment.
It was very useful before multimedia centers, to connect GPS devices, cell phone chargers, Bluetooth transmitters and other accessories. The connectivity in the sound system brought along the USB inputs, which reduced the use of the 12-volt outlet.
In the last five years, some brands have started removing the equipment in their cars. It no longer exists in the Fiat Pulse, Fastback and Toro, Ram Rampage, Jeep Compass, Renegade and Commander, Renault Kwid 2026 and Chevrolet Onix 2026.
We consulted Fiat about the elimination of the 12-volt outlet, check out the full answer:
Fiat continues to follow the evolution of the market, which has prioritized more practical, functional and connected solutions to the current lifestyle of consumers. Meeting the demands of our customers, USB ports, both type A or C, meet most of the day-to-day needs, offering faster charging and data support, efficient and compatible with most electronic devices.
This moment is not universal, many brands continue with the 12-volt outlet along with the USB ports. The Renault Boreal, for example, keeps it in the trunk, while Honda put two in the new WR-V, one for a row of seats. North American pickups have one in the bed.
The lack of a 12v outlet brings a problem for drivers who have accessories such as portable refrigerators, navigators and tire compressors that use this energy source.
Engine overheating was once a more frequent concern for Brazilian drivers. Seeing several cars stopped releasing white smoke on the side of the road was something frequent on mountain climbs.
In modern cars, where the cooling system has a closed circuit and more precise electronic control, it is more difficult for the engine to boil. Therefore, many manufacturers have removed the equipment from the dashboard, replacing it with a light that warns of overheating.
But we know that not all drivers trust this light, there is a belief that it only comes on when the situation is ugly. Chevrolet had removed the meter, but in current models with a digital panel the feature returned and showing the coolant temperature.
In cars that do not have a thermometer, it is possible to easily adapt one using the OBD2 input. Even without showing it on the dashboard, the car’s central unit knows the coolant temperature.
Those handles that are on the roof of cars are popularly called “PQP”, in relation to an expression of fright. They are useful for passenger access or for support.
The first cars to remove this equipment were the popular ones. At Volkswagen, the equipment was removed in almost the entire line, even medium and imported models.
Mercedes-Benz justified that the handles were removed on its electric cars because the roof of the cars was lowered to help with aerodynamics. But in the national compact cars it was just cost cutting.
Fortunately, the PQP handle is making a comeback in Volkswagen cars, starting with the new Tera. The compact SUV brought some finishing improvements such as this equipment and a fabric portion on the doors.
There are modernities that start in premium brand cars and then become popular. 20 years ago, BMW eliminated the oil dipstick in its engines, putting a sensor in place for the driver to check the level through the dashboard.
Stellantis used this feature in its new 2.2 turbodiesel engine, which equips the Ram Rampage, Fiat Scudo, Fiat Toro, Jeep Commander, Peugeot Expert and Citroën Jumpy. On the on-board computer, you can check the lubricating oil level. Pickup trucks with chassis, Ram Dakota and Fiat Titano, use this engine and have the equipment.
Do you want to buy a brand new car with a CD-player? The only alternative is to buy the luxurious Lexus ES 300h, for R$ 360.990. Until the beginning of the year, it had the Subaru Forester as an alternative.
What cut short the career of the CD-player was the connectivity of modern sound systems. It doesn’t even have to be a multimedia center, the Volkswagen Polo Track features an FM radio with Bluetooth and USB input, being able to play the streaming of smartphones or connect a pen-drive with thousands of songs.
The last cars produced in Mercosur to bring this equipment were the Nissan Frontier S and the Volkswagen Amarok, prior to the current face-lift. Lexus had the CD-player in other cars, but removed the item as it updated them. The new generation of ES, presented abroad, is already without.
Some brands have multimedia centers that allow you to install apps natively. In this way, it is no longer necessary to mirror the smartphone.
Loading a CD holder into the console or having a floppy disk is a thing of the past. Audiophiles argue that the playback quality of physical media is superior, but this is circumvented by using a USB stick with high-quality files.
