Head-Up Displays: What are they?

Cars with a head-up display: Your complete guide

TL;DR: So, what’s a head-up display?

A head-up display (HUD) projects driving information – speed, navigation, safety alerts – directly onto your windscreen, sitting in your natural line of sight rather than on a dashboard you have to look down at.

The name comes from aviation; a pilot keeping their ‘head up’ and looking forward, rather than angling down at instruments.

That principle, minus the fighter jet, is now available across a wide range of lease cars.

Looking away from the road is something we all do, even when we know we shouldn’t

A glance at the sat nav, a check of the speed, a peek at who’s calling – each one only takes a second, but at 70mph a second covers around 31 metres of road with your eyes pointing somewhere other than forward.

Head-up displays (HUD) exist to fix that.

Rather than scattering the information you need across a dashboard you have to look down at, a HUD projects it onto your windscreen at eye level. Speed, navigation, driver alerts…

All of it sits in your sightline without you having to shift your focus.

The technology started life in military aircraft in the 1950s and made its car debut in 1988.

These days, it spans everything from flagship saloons to mid-range family SUVs, with the latest augmented reality systems going a step further and overlaying navigation arrows directly onto the road in front of you.

This guide covers how it all works, what to look for, and which cars currently offer it on the UK market.

A brief history of the head-up display

HUD technology dates back to the 1950s, when it was developed for military aviation to give fighter pilots altitude, speed, and targeting information without taking their eyes off the skies.

The concept was straightforward: Keep the pilot’s head up and looking forward, rather than down at their instruments.

It proved effective enough that the technology was progressively refined across military and then commercial aviation for the next three decades.

Cars entered the picture in 1988, when the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme became the first production vehicle to offer one. General Motors – who had acquired an aircraft company that brought considerable HUD expertise into the business – developed the system, projecting a speedometer and turn-signal indicators onto the windscreen.

Basic by today’s standards, but the underlying logic was identical.

The automotive version has evolved considerably since.

Early HUDs were monochrome and limited to speed readouts. Modern systems integrate with GPS, driver assistance technology, and in the case of AR-HUD, the car’s full sensor array.

GM’s original 1988 implementation display two pieces of information; a current BMW 7 Series will show you dozens, dynamically adjusted to whatever’s relevant at any given moment on the road.

How does a head-up display work?

The basic principle is straightforward.

A projector unit in the dash sends an image upward, which bounces off a series of mirrors before being projected onto either the windscreen or a small transparent panel that rises from the dash.

The image is collimated – light rays made parallel – so it appears to sit out in the distance, rather than inches from your face.

Your eyes don’t need to refocus when you glance at it, because optically it looks like part of the world ahead of you. Shift your attention between the driving data and the road, and there’s no adjustment needed.

It’s what sets it apart from a sat nav stuck to your windscreen or a phone clamped to the dashboard.

Both put information in front of you.

But only one of them keeps your eyes functioning as if they never left the road.

There are three types of automotive HUD system worth knowing about:

Combiner HUD (C-HUD)

A small semi-transparent panel rises from the dashboard and acts as the display surface.

These are common in mid-range models and aftermarket additions. They’re cheaper to produce and service, but offer a smaller image area and a shorter projection distance than a full windscreen image.

Windscreen HUD (W-HUD)

The image projects directly onto a specially coated section of the windscreen itself, appearing to float a few metres in front of you.

These offer a larger, more immersive display and tend to integrate more deeply with the car’s driver assistance systems.

The trade-off is that the windscreen needs to be precisely matched to the projector - which matters when you come to need a replacement.

Augmented reality HUD (AR-HUD)

The most advanced version.

Rather than simply displaying information on the glass, an AR-HUD aligns what it shows with the real world in front of you. Overlaying navigation arrows onto the actual road ahead, for instance, so the arrow to turn left appears to sit on the junction itself.

It uses vehicle-mounted sensors and GPS to make that overlay accurate in real time.

What does a head-up display show?

The information on display varies by manufacturer and system, but most head-up displays will show some combination of the following:

Speed: The most universal feature. Your current speed sits in your line of sight without any need to glance down.

Navigation: Turn-by-turn directions projected onto the glass, so you’re not glancing frantically between screen and landscape when approaching a busy junction.

It’s worth noting that most of the time, in-car HUD navigation will run off the vehicle’s built-in system, rather than third-party apps like Google Maps and Waze.

Speed limit recognition: Many systems read road signs and display the current limit alongside your speed, flagging when you’re over.

Driver assistance alerts: Warnings from systems like Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, and Adaptive Cruise Control appear on the HUD so you can catch them without looking away from the road.

Phone and media notifications: Incoming calls and messages can be shown on the display, removing the temptation to glance at your phone.

Real-time driving data: Fuel level, battery charge (for electric cars and plug-in hybrids), outside temperature, and engine warnings – depending on the model.

The case for a head-up display

Glancing away from the road for just two seconds at 70mph means covering roughly 62 metres with your eyes off the road.

According to 2022 road collision data published by the Department for Transport, 22 people were killed and 674 were injured in road traffic incidents where a driver using a mobile phone was identified as a contributory factor.

And despite the law tightening in 2022 to cover virtually any handheld phone use, the RAC’s 2024 Report on Motoring found that 55% of under-25s admitted to making or receiving calls on a handheld phone while driving – the highest figure in eight years.

A HUD doesn’t solve that problem entirely, but it does remove several of the reasons people reach for their phones in the first place.

If your speed, navigation turn, and incoming call are all in front of you, there’s less reason to pick anything up or move your eyes off the road.

The safety argument for HUDs also extends beyond mobile phones.

For drivers using connected driver assistance systems – lane keeping, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring – having those alerts appear directly in your sightline means you can easily see them when you need to.

There’s a common concern that HUDs add distraction rather than reduce it.

In practice, the opposite tends to be true.

Head-up displays are designed to display only the most relevant information at any given moment, and on every system they can be switched off if you’d rather not have them.

You can choose not to look at your dashboard; you can’t choose not to have a dashboard.

Standard HUD vs augmented reality HUD

Most head-up displays on the market are either C-HUD or W-HUD systems – clear, useful and reliable.

Augmented reality HUD (AR-HUD) is the newer generation, and the difference shows.

A standard HUD shows navigation as an arrow and a road name; an AR-HUD overlays that arrow onto the actual junction ahead of you, so there’s no mental step between seeing/hearing the instruction and understanding where to go.

AR-HUD tech is still concentrated in higher-spec models and trims, but it’s becoming less exotic.

The Volkswagen ID.7 and BMW’s iX and i7 are the most prominent examples currently available. The Audi Q4 e-tron also offers an AR-HUD as an optional extra, making it one of the more accessible entry points into the technology.

If AR-HUD is specifically on your wishlist, it’s worth checking trim levels carefully before committing. In most cases it sits behind a tech pack or premium specification, rather than being available on every variant.

Which cars have a head-up display?

The list has grown considerably in recent years.

Below is a guide to current UK models, split by how the feature is offered. Plenty of other models offer HUD too. If yours isn’t listed, it’s worth checking the brochure.

HUD as standard

These models come with a head-up display fitted regardless of trim level – no pack required, no upgrade needed.

• Mazda 3: One of the few mainstream models to offer a standard HUD across its range. The system displays speed, safety alerts, and smartphone navigation directions.
• BMW 5 Series and 7 Series: Standard across both ranges. The 7 Series offers a large, high-resolution display with deep integration across BMW’s driver assistance systems.
• Audi A6, A7 and A8: All three come with HUD fitted as standard, with the Audi A8 offering one of the more comprehensive displays.
• Mercedes-Benz S-Class: Has a wide display covering speed, navigation, and ADAS alerts.
• Range Rover and Range Rover Sport: Both flagship Land Rover models include HUD as standard.
• Volvo EX90: Volvo’s flagship electric SUV includes HUD as standard.
• Volkswagen ID.7: Comes with an augmented reality HUD as standard, displaying battery charge, speed, and lane-level navigation with arrows that align with the road ahead.

HUD available as an option or on higher trims

These models offer a HUD, but you’ll typically need to opt for a specific trim level or tech pack to get it.

• Audi A3, A5, Q3, Q5, Q7, Q8, Q4 e-tron: Audi’s HUD is available across most of its current range. On models like the Q3 it comes via a Technology or Sound & Vision pack; on the Q4 e-tron there’s an AR-HUD option.
• BMW 2 Series, 3 Series, X1, X3, X5, and others: A HUD is available on virtually every current BMW model, but it’s typically bundled into a Technology or Premium Pack rather than offered as a standalone option.
• Mercedes-Benz C-Class, GLC, GLE, E-Class, and EQ range: Available on Premium Plus trim and above across the combustion range, and on higher spec EQ models.
• Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6: Available on higher trim levels. The IONIQ 6 in particular has attracted attention for its combiner-style HUD, which projects navigation and speed clearly in the driver’s eyeline.
• Hyundai Kona and Santa Fe: The Hyundai Kona features a combiner HUD on select higher trims; the Santa Fe is available has it available on upper configurations.
• Genesis GV60, GV70, and G80: Available across these models, though trim-level availability varies.
• Land Rover Defender, Range Rover Evoque, and Range Rover Velar: Available on higher trims – the Defender from HSE upwards, with the Evoque and Velar available as optional extras.
• Volvo XC60, XC90, V60 and V90: Available on Plus Pro and Ultra trims across the range.
• Mazda CX-30 and CX-5: Both models offer HUD on higher trims, continuing Mazda’s consistent commitment to the feature across its range.
• Nissan Qashqai: Available on higher trim levels.
• SKODA Enyaq: Available as an optional extra.
• CUPRA Born and Formentor: Available depending on trim level.
• Kia Sportage and Sorento: Available on higher-end trims across both models.
• Toyota C-HR, RAV4, Yaris, Corolla, Prius, and Land Cruiser: Available on either higher-end trims or specialised packages like Tech or Premium.

Electric cars with a head-up display

If you’re looking at leasing an electric car (EV) with a HUD, availability has improved over the past few years.

The following EVs are just a selection of those that offer a head-up display:

• Volkswagen ID.7
• Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6
• BMW iX and i7
• Audi Q4 e-tron
• Genesis GV60
• Kia EV6 and EV9
• SKODA Enyaq
• CUPRA Born
• Volvo EX90

HUD and your next lease

A head-up display has moved from premium novelty to a practical safety feature over the past decade.

And the cars that offer it now span a wide enough range of price points that it’s worth factoring into your search rather than assuming it’s out of reach.

But HUD availability can vary significantly within a model range. A mid-spec trim might not include it even if the top-tier trim does, and in many cases, it sits inside a technology or convenience pack that needs selecting at configuration.

If it’s a must-have, confirm it’s on the specific variant before you sign anything.

Leasing is how you end up in cars with tech you might not have known about, or have had access to – and a good head-up display is worth its weight in horsepower.

Once you’ve had one, the idea of going back to glancing down at a dashboard feels almost quaint.