The PROPILOT Assist technology offered in many new Nissan vehicles is a very advanced driver assistance feature that makes long highway drives safer and more enjoyable by allowing the driver to remove their foot from the pedals and in some cases, their hands from the steering wheel.
The adaptive cruise control
The PROPILOT Assist system used in Nissan vehicles works by combining the lane following assist with the adaptive cruise control. This last feature uses a radar sensor mounted in the front grille of the vehicle that constantly measures the distance to the vehicle in front. Once the driver has chosen a maximum speed and a preferred following distance, the PROPILOT Assist system controls the accelerator and the braking system in order to always maintain a safe distance with the car in front. Since this technology is capable of bringing the vehicle to a complete stop and then accelerating it back up to speed, it can be used in situations where the traffic speed varies frequently.
The Lane Following Assist
The other part of the PROPILOT Assist system used in Nissan models is the Lane Following Assist. This technology monitors the lane markings on highways and well-marked roads in order to determine the vehicle’s position within its own lane. Rather than only correcting the trajectory when the vehicle is about to exit the lane, PROPILOT Assist keeps the car in the middle of the lane at all times, even on curves, as long as the driver keeps their hands on the wheel.
The PROPILOT Assist 2.0
The new electric Nissan Ariya launched the latest version of the PROPILOT Assist system, which builds upon the capabilities of the original system. This new technology allows the driver to remove their hands from the steering wheel when driving on the highway provided that their eyes are scanning the road ahead. In addition, this new system is capable of performing hands-on lane changes, which means that the driver only has to press a button on the steering wheel to overtake a slower-moving vehicle ahead.