Each new model year brings a host of automotive choices, and with those models are slick, new options and features to enhance our automotive lives. New safety features are always a strong selling point, and for 2009 there's plenty of new tech to help drivers feel more secure behind the wheel.

Electronic amenities have always been popular, and the demand to stay connected and entertained is only expected to accelerate in the years to come, especially as drivers want to bring their portable devices into their vehicles. Here are 10 of the latest auto-tech enhancements making headlines for the 2009 model year.

Adaptive Cruise Control
Similar to conventional cruise control in that it maintains the vehicle's pre-set speed, adaptive cruise control (ACC) can also automatically adjust speed in order to maintain a proper distance between vehicles in the same lane. Also known as active or intelligent cruise control, it uses a radar and/or laser sensors (usually located behind the grille) to determine the speed and distance of the vehicle in front. If the lead vehicle slows down, the system sends a signal to decelerate to the engine or braking system. When the distance is computed to be safe again, the system accelerates the car back to its last speed setting.

The next generation of distance-keeping Distronic Plus cruise controls found in Mercedes-Benz uses an array of short- and long-range radar to prevent a driver from accidentally accelerating into the back of a vehicle. In our tests, it worked amazingly well in stop-and-go traffic and on the highway. Simply apply the brake to shut off the system, as with normal cruise control. Other manufacturers offering versions of ACC include Acura, Audi, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Subaru and Toyota.

Traffic- and Weather-Alert Navigation
GPS-based navigation systems equipped with real-time weather and traffic alert systems are becoming more common across all price points, not just high-ticket luxury models. The system superimposes road and traffic conditions over standard navigation maps. The information is scaled and customized for the driver's specific location and route.

The service can alert drivers to severe traffic and weather conditions on the exact route before they drive into them, providing the opportunity to route around a storm's path or find a quick way around a massive traffic jam. Nav systems that can handle these services are now available on the 2009 Lincoln MKS, the 2009 Acura RL and TSX, and will soon be offered on the all-new TL. We expect Chrysler, Ford, GM, Mazda, Suzuki and many others to follow suit by year's end.

Adaptive Headlamps
As a car's steering wheel turns, so do the headlamps, thus illuminating where the driver is looking rather than where the car's front end is pointing. Information about the position of the steering wheel and the speed of the vehicle is relayed to the car's engine control unit. With the information processed, signals are sent to electric motors positioned at the rear of the headlamps to turn them left or right by the proper amount.

Over the past 18 months, nearly every automaker has begun offering adaptive headlamps as an option. Equipped vehicles include the 2009 Audi A6, BMW 1-, 3- and 7-Series, Cadillac Escalade and CTS-V, Hyundai Genesis, Infiniti FX, Lincoln MKS, and Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Portable Nav Device Integration
Portable navigation systems are more popular than ever before. They are easy to use, nearly as functional as most in-dash units, and they're relatively affordable. Instead of seeing their proliferation as a threat to in-dash sales, some manufacturers are now outfitting their rides with interfaces and storage compartments designed specifically for portables from Garmin and others. The interfaces supply power and the storage compartments act as convenient and secure mounts — no more suction cups. Toyota, Hyundai and Volvo are now providing this option in several models.