When it comes to new cars, the UK public would rather have technology designed to make driving easier than electronic gadgets.

According to the results of a recent study by Maritz Research, braking assistance systems are top of the list of most-wanted features, with 74% of male respondents and 65% of female respondents admitting they would like this feature in their next vehicle.

Second most popular on the list was parking sensors, with two-thirds of respondents saying this would be an attractive option when purchasing a new car.

Meanwhile, British women would take parking help one step further with 41% saying they would consider buying a car that parallel parks automatically.

In comparison, the desire for gadget-related upgrades fared poorly.

MP3 hard disk space, passenger DVD entertainment systems and in-vehicle internet access all failed to draw interest from the majority of respondents.