Don’t you feel a sense of accomplishment when you park your car in the tightest of spots without touching another vehicle or the curb, all by yourself, perhaps with a little help from a storefront’s window reflections?
If the answer is yes, then you’ll probably be meh about all these parking assist systems found on modern cars, but on the other hand, you might be grateful they exist the next time someone leaves their vehicle’s paint on your bumper…
To assist less capable drivers when parking (well, they don’t say it like that, but isn’t it what they mean?), Volvo has created a suit of systems for its upcoming 2015 XC90 SUV, which include an automated Park Assist Pilot that offers automatic reversing into a parking bay as well as entering and exiting a parallel parking spot, plus a Bird’s Eye view displayed on a screen.
The automated parking system utilizes 12 ultrasonic sensors positioned around the car and it takes over the steering wheel, with the driver controlling the gearbox and gas pedal. A display in the instrument cluster then guides the driver via texts and animations. The system works when a parallel parking spot measures at least 1.2 times the car’s length, while in a bay parking situation, the slot needs to be as wide as the car plus one meter (3.3 feet).
Also found in the new XC90 is a 360-degree Surround View that displays the area around the car as seen from a point above and a Cross Traffic Alert, which warns the driver of approaching traffic up to 30 meters (~ 100 feet) on each side through audio and visual signals on the center screen.
The new XC90 will be presented at the Paris Motor Show this October.
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