Consumers’ Top Car Tech Pick: Access to Smartphone Apps

Three in five consumers in America expect the ability to link their smartphones to their car's infotainment system to be a standard feature in their next car, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

Power says about one in five also want in-car technology that can remotely display and operate the apps in their electronic devices but only if the capability costs no more than $250.

The company's 's latest U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study polled 15,200 consumers about their interest in 61 emerging automotive technologies. The study also tracks shifts in interest after respondents are told the price of such features.

The proportion of consumers willing to pay $3,000 for a car with a self-driving mode rose to 24% this year from 21% in 2013 and 20% in 2012.

Cockpit controls that respond to hand gestures garner the lowest interest among consumers, according to Power. The study attributes the lack of appeal to limited consumer awareness, high cost (about $1,000) and mistrust of the technology's accuracy.