BMW is finally bringing its Lane Change Assistant technology to Australia, a country that relies heavily on road transport due to its large area and low population density in certain parts.
The Lane Change Assistant can automatically carry out steering wheel movement so as to position the vehicle into a destination lane on multi-lane roads. The tech now comes standard on X5, X6 and X7 models, as part of the Driving Assistant Professional package.
After executing the maneuver and the vehicle is safely in the destination lane, it will then return to its lane guidance setting (Steering Assistance).
Also read: 2020 BMW X6 Showcased In Arctic Grey With Black Merino Leather Inside
The way this works is by mixing together radars and cameras to analyze the surroundings and gauge whether or not it’s safe and that there is enough room for the maneuver to be executed. Of course, it’s the radar sensors that are responsible for detecting objects and the speed of nearby vehicles.
As for the operating speed of the Lane Change Assistant, it ranges between 70 km/h (40 mph) to 180 km/h (112 mph), which means that you can use the system on pretty much any long-distance journey as long as the vehicle doesn’t have to slow down too much.
To start the maneuver, your BMW must first sense that your hands are on the steering wheel and that the Lane Change Warning isn’t issuing any alert. The next step is to hold the turn indicator in the one-touch signaling position for roughly one second.
