The new features of Consul Connect aim to simplify service mesh configuration and provide a more robust and secure way to connect services across different environments. The key points include the introduction of Observability, which allows for configurable metrics and tracing, as well as ACL Auth Methods that enable applications to use trusted third-party identities like Kubernetes Service Accounts to obtain ACL tokens with correct permissions automatically. Centralized Configuration for Proxies simplifies the management of proxy configuration, while HTTP Path-Based Routing enables advanced layer 7 routing capabilities. Traffic Shifting allows for weighted service selection and canary testing, and Gateways simplify multi-datacenter network communication by providing secure connectivity between platforms and environments. Advanced Failover Options provide a way to configure multi-datacenter failover without complex queries. The UI Enhancements improve the user experience with automatic refreshing of service state and external dashboard links. Finally, Proxy Ecosystem Support opens up Consul Connect to other proxy vendors through a plugin interface, allowing for more flexibility and customization options.