Stay Current With These Automotive Lighting Trends

Just like fashion, automotive trends frequently dip in and out of style. However they seem to be evolving faster than ever these days, thanks to social media and a very busy aftermarket. Nowhere else is this rate of change more apparent than the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where the industry’s best and brightest tap a creative vein and let all their wild automotive ideas flow forth.

While many aftermarket categories delivered interesting innovations at SEMA 2021, a spotlight definitely fell on lighting manufacturers. This is a crowded segment with some serious competition, and it seems all that dog-eat-dog energy is paying off. Several key players — some old, some new — delivered really impressive new products, pushing the lighting segment to new heights in power, performance, and of course, styling.

As they say, cream always rises to the top. Here are some of the hottest automotive lighting trends (and new products) we see making their mark in 2022.

Form? Meet Function.

Many automotive lighting trends get dismissed as being purely aesthetic — or worse novelty. And, for sure, there are certainly some products out there that do little more than look cool. Today’s savvy trendsetters refuse to be dismissed though, and they’re proving it by packing some serious functionality into stylish lighting accessories.

When it comes to blending “Whoa, that’s cool” with “Damn, that’s useful,” ORACLE takes top honors — literally. These guys continue to take home industry awards for their proven LED solutions and outstanding designs, most recently nabbing SEMA’s 2021 Manufacturer of the Year award.

ORACLE has several lighting accessories on its product roster that blend form and function, including the popular Vector Grill for Jeep Wrangler JK, JL and Gladiator JT. At first glance, this replacement grill might seem like a simple way to show off one’s ride. It certainly grabs attention and holds on tight. Underneath the aggressive styling, however, is some very cool customizable lighting, including integrated LED light emitters for Low Beam, High Beam, and a Dynamic LED DRL.

Each one of these emitters can be independently adjusted to put a focused beam of light on the road without blinding oncoming traffic — a major plus for lifted Wranglers. Plus, that integrated DRL increases driver safety by making the vehicle more visible to other drivers. This DRL also features a unique “startup sequence” dynamic LED display, which is something we saw on nearly every vehicle gracing the SEMA show floor this year.

The kicker? ORACLE dropped this product a few years ago, proving it doesn’t just stay ahead of automotive lighting trends — it sets them.

NEW JEEP PRODUCTS FOR 2022

This year, ORACLE brought a variety of new Jeep products (and exciting prototypes) that demonstrate that same gold-medal sensibility for blending good looks with great functionality.

Some of our favorites include…

… A steel LED skid plate that serves up durable underbody protection and high-powered lighting.

… The Oculus Bi-LED Headlamp System for Jeep JL/JT, which now features an additional (and very cool) Switchback Amber Turn Signal Halo. That means, the headlight does both daytime running light and amber turn-signal functionality — very useful if your Jeep build involves nixing factory lighting and fenders.

… An LED-integrated side mirror JL/JT prototype that offers OEM styling while improving peripheral visibility for trail riding and rock crawling. Check out the JK version here.

… Brand-new, flush-mount LED Jeep tail lights (pictured) that wrap tightly around the truck, making them great for off-roading on tight trails where light damage is common. Pair them with these new LED reverse lights for matching illumination at the back of the vehicle.

… An LED cargo light that replaces the factory windshield wiper cover to provide functional dome lighting, ground lighting, and a high-mount warning light at a Jeep Wrangler’s rear.

UPDATED CLASSICS

Another brand setting automotive lighting trends at this year’s SEMA show was Morimoto. The company brought several impressive products to SEMA 2021, including some seriously powerful off-road kit — but more on that later.  First, check out these beautiful period-correct sealed beam replacement headlights.

Dubbed “RetroBright,” Morimoto teamed up with Holley to design the LED replacements which come in Classic OEM Warm White and Modern Pure White. (Those looking for a yellow output can choose a euro lens conversion kit.) Delivering the best of both worlds, RetroBright headlights pair the safety and performance benefits of modern LED lighting with the old-school styling of a classic vehicle’s original sealed beam lights.

With the collector car market on absolute fire right now, we see these being a popular upgrade for enthusiasts looking to walk that line between restoration and restomod. Better yet, RetroBright headlights come with interchangeable LED cartridges that you can easily swap out from the backside. That means, if you want Pure White for cruises but OEM Yellow for the car show, you can make the swap with a simple change of a bulb. RetroBright headlights are available in all classic beam sizes, round or square.

The Aeroskin LightShield Hood Protector from Auto Ventshade is certainly worthy of a shoutout. This unique accessory is the only one of its kind: a hood protector with five integrated amber LED marker lights. Powered by connecting into the vehicle’s parking lights, the LightShield offers peace-of-mind protection in a dramatic distinctive look.

Have It Your Way

This is the aftermarket we’re talking about, so customization is still king. While color and animation are two very easy ways to make your ride stand out in the parking lot, today’s lighting manufacturers are really pushing the envelope on innovation to develop more sophisticated ways of saying: “That one’s mine, ain’t she a beaut?”

A LITTLE AMBIANCE

Again, ORACLE earns itself an accolade here with its new LED StarLINER Panels. These self-contained acoustic panels not only quiet interior Jeep resonance, but also feature integrated Fiber-Optics to create a unique “starlight” effect on the hardtop ceiling.

Does it serve much of a purpose? Eh, not really. But it sure as hell captures the attention of nearly every person walking past it.

PERSONALIZED ANIMATION

As mentioned before, dynamic start-up sequences were a popular automotive lighting trend at SEMA 2021. Both ANZO and Alpha Rex are looking to squeeze a little more customization into those features with new prototypes.

ANZO showed off some new headlight offerings for late-model trucks, which all featured some fun “dancing” initiation signatures in addition to impressive LED power. Even cooler was a new feature the brand is tinkering with: dancing headlights that keep beat with your music. Over at Alpha Rex, lighting engineers are working on custom activation features that will turn on anytime the vehicle unlocks or starts. These prototypes also include a sequential turn signal and switchback amber DRL option.

STAND OUT… BUT NOT TOO MUCH

Another interesting restyling product prioritizing customization is Luxe LightWrap, a vinyl tint kit that allows anyone to change up a vehicle’s appearance by adding a subtle — and seamless — tint to the light housings. The premium quality cast vinyl film is specially developed for wrapping vehicle lights (and trim) with translucent effects. This allows you to tint the lens, while ensuring light can still pass through. Available in a variety of finishes including, smoke, star dust, and a funky 3D honeycomb effect.

Mo’ Powah

Technology moves fast – and like the Pirate’s Code, those who fall behind are left behind. Lighting is a crowded segment, with many fly-by-night companies offering cheap solutions and even cheaper knock-offs. Even some of the tried-and-true brands are starting to show their age, sticking to stale trends and “good enough” bulbs.

Several companies are choosing to lead rather than follow though, and they’re delivering some very cool and very innovative products.

FOCUSED OUTPUT

Diode Dynamics brought its new SS5 Pods to the 2021 SEMA Show. Displayed on a gorgeous new Ford Bronco (which is quickly becoming its very own automotive lighting trend), these new pods feature the highest output intensity of any 5-inch LED pod on the market. The company points to its TIR optics as the secret sauce making the SS5 Pods tick.

TIR stands for Total Internal Reflection. This proprietary technology basically “collects” all of the light from an LED, and then directs it exactly where you want it. Traditionally, off-road lighting solutions use a reflector and lens design which tends to “scatter” (and therefore waste) the light. According to Diode Dynamics, TIR optics drastically reduce glare and improve total efficiency.

The SS5 pods put these TIR optics to good use, offering an incredible output of 406,000 candela in the SS5 Sport model. That translates to almost a mile of visibility at a quarter lux. These pods protect all that power in a heavy-duty cast aluminum housing that is torture-tested and backed up with an impressive 8-year warranty.

Also worth noting is the available programmable color option, so you can add a little personal spice, as well as the company’s patent-pending CrossLink technology. This allows you to link up to eight SS5 pods together to create your own lightbar, using a single-piece CNC aluminum link.

MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

Noticeable among automotive lighting trends is the popularity of light pods in the off-road scene. In fact, they seem to be taking precedence over more traditionally-designed light bars. Regardless of where your personal tastes lie, Morimoto’s brand new, patent-pending line of 4Banger TIR Off-Road LED lights will have you sitting up straight.

Completely designed, engineered, and tested in the USA, these pods are truly next level. Like Diode Dynamics, Morimoto employs some clever optics engineering here. Basically, by projecting light into the most effective beam pattern, the 4Banger pods can do more with less.

This translates to a few benefits for off-road enthusiasts. First, the lights’ overall footprint is much smaller than alternative options — roughly 30% to be exact — ensuring much better, OEM-like fitment. Second, they’re producing  a lot more light, and delivering it much more accurately.

The folks over at Headlight Revolution did a super comprehensive breakdown of the Morimoto 4Bangers, with beam pattern tests, lux numbers, and helpful comparisons to competing brands. Check it out below.

OEM Wake-Up Call

It’s perhaps worth remembering that the “main” goal of aftermarket lighting is to improve safety and increase visual distance. And this is largely because, for years, OEM lighting has been absolute garbage – especially on base trims. In fact, OEM lighting was so poor that the IIHS instituted headlight ratings in 2016. By 2020, the organization made “good” or “acceptable” headlights across all trims a criteria in order to nab one of its coveted Top Safety Pick+ awards. Headlights are tested on features like illumination, glare, and aim.

Did you know vehicles with good-rated headlights have 19% fewer nighttime single-vehicle crashes than vehicles with poor-rated headlights? Acceptable and marginal headlights are associated with reductions of about 15 and 10%.

Thankfully, these stricter criteria seem to be driving improvements. In 2021, several manufacturers boosted stock lighting on select models, including Audi, Honda, Hyundai, Subaru, Toyota, and Volvo. IIHS notes that as of October 2021, 29% of headlight systems tested on model year 2021 vehicles received a “good” rating.

Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. IIHS says almost half of the systems tested still rated “marginal” or “poor” because of inadequate visibility, excessive glare from low beams for oncoming drivers, or both. Indeed, the new Ford Bronco 4-door fell short of an IIHS safety award for having poorly constructed head restraints – and headlights that do not adequately illuminate the road to a far enough distance on curves. (Good thing every single aftermarket lighting manufacturer is scrambling to create product for this model.)

OEM-DRIVEN INNOVATIONS

Holding OEM feet over the innovative flames has paid off for consumers in a few ways. Automakers and their lighting suppliers have made some incredible advancements over the years, including LEDs, curve-adaptive headlights, high-beam assist, and – though illegal in the U.S. – adaptive driving beams. (Although, that’s set to change with the new infrastructure bill.)

Laser lighting, which uses much smaller and more efficient diodes than halogen, xenon, and LED technologies, is already cropping up on more expensive rides as standard equipment. The aftermarket is also playing with lasers, though they remain very expensive and relegated to off-road, search and rescue, security, and industrial uses.

WHAT AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING TRENDS COULD LIE AHEAD?

Interested in some of the wild lighting technology that could be in our collective future? The 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) debuted some interesting future tech, including color-changing optical film that can actually alter a vehicle’s exterior paint color (!), as well as clever optical phased array (OPA) sensors that can detect and track a target with 10% reflectivity mounted on a vehicle stationed 200 meters away.

Both innovations demonstrate how the lighting category has much bigger implications than simply seeing the road, trail, or driveway with a little more clarity. For example, engineers are currently tinkering with “LiFi” technology. This tech essentially uses light rather than radio frequencies to wirelessly transmit data. Just imagine what that could mean for 5G roll outs!

The future of automotive lighting is certainly bright. What trends are you excited to see take root? Which ones would you prefer go dark? Let us know in the comments!