Technology has come on leaps and bounds over the past few years, especially when it comes to in-car gadgets.

Here is a look at some of the eye-catching infotainment systems to get excited about:

Hyundai Display Audio system

If you are a music fan, the very thought of a car being devoid of a CD player may sound like a nightmare. Do not panic though, as Hyundai has a nifty solution should they decide to leave a CD player out of some of their future vehicles.

The South Korean manufacturer’s Display Audio system allows you to link your Apple or Android smartphone up to your car in order to access a wide range of apps through a high-res touchscreen display.

As a result, those who love a good singalong will be able to easily play music through the likes of Beats Music, Spotify and SoundCloud during their road trip.

Experts at USA TODAY and Reviewed.com have already been impressed with what they’ve seen, presenting the Hyundai Display Audio system with one of the 2015 CES Editors’ Choice Awards earlier this month.

Panasonic eCockpit systems

There is no denying that technology can make long journeys more tolerable. However, smartphones and colourful touchscreen dashboards can distract drivers.

Fortunately, the Panasonic eCockpit system is made up of both a head-up display to ensure motorists always keep their eyes on the road and hands-free microphones so that their hands stay firmly on the steering wheel.

Benfield Motor Group is excited by the technology, with Mark King stating: “Even taking your eyes off the road for a second to alter a climate control system or view directions on a smartphone’s navigation system is dangerous.”

BMW iDrive

BMW is looking to go one step further in the effort to make interacting with car infotainment systems easier and safer with its iDrive technology.

On first glance, drivers will be forgiven for thinking they are just looking at a standard infotainment system. After all, the iDrive system is made up of a colourful control display that sits on the dashboard and an accompanying controller.

However, BMW has developed the controller using hi-tech biometric principles. This means you can operate the screen by waving your hands and making clicking gestures as you see fit. Everything from answering a hands-free phone call to switching radio stations and accepting a notification on your in-car navigation device has never been so simple.