Mom's techno-mobile

When Dasha Yermakova drives her black Land Rover LR3, it is equal parts office, lounge, and entertainment center: It offers hands-free calling and texting; plug-in capability for her children's iPhones, iPods, and iPads; and a navigation system the family named James. (Says Yermakova: "There's something very refined about that voice asking, 'Where are we going today?' with that proper British accent.")

If parents are superheroes, consider their cars Bat headquarters.

Sure, Mom always has been somewhat of a limo driver - racing from soccer practice to Sweet Sixteens, play rehearsal to play dates. But now the limo drivers' wheels actually resemble a limo, and that "village" we need to raise a child? Count the car in.

"Now, the customer is looking for a collaboration with these cars," says Kevin Mazzucola, executive director of the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia.

The family automobile is fully loaded, amply able to offer both the technology for frantic phone calls and storage for Kleenex. Are your kids bored with making peace signs at passing cars? Turn on the split-screen entertainment systems (complete with wireless headsets) so they won't fight about what to watch. Can't remember where that new Little Gym is located? Tune in to a voice-activated turn-by-turn navigation system. Need some musical distraction from the backseat squabbling? Turn on the family's favorite playlist downloaded into the car's hard-drive memory.

And if you think all these goodies are distracting, the latest safety features protect drivers and their precious cargo.

"Moms want a command central that's purposeful and safe," says Susan Eckel, General Motors' vehicle line director and chief engineer for global midsize crossovers. "They need to be able to use the vehicle and talk hands-free. If something lives on your smartphone, you can get it to come across the radio. ... You can make your car a [WiFi] hot spot. Now kids can be online on laptops, and Mom can get real-time traffic alerts. If there's an accident, she can hit the OnStar button and get rerouted. It's all about being efficient, useful, and safe."