The new “assistant” in Kia will not let you step under the wheels

We have repeatedly told about Kia's proprietary complex of intelligent driver assistance systems called Drive Wise . But there was a reason to do it again – after all, among the electronic “assistants” replenishment! And the new system will debut on the hottest new product of the current market – the compact crossover Kia Seltos .

Translated from English, Drive Wise means to drive a car smartly, sensibly, owning all the necessary information. On an empty highway in clear weather, this does not require much art. But in the city crowd, at night, in the rain? Here, even an experienced driver no longer has enough reaction or awareness of what is happening around. What can we say about a newbie behind the wheel?

Meanwhile, the modern car is stuffed with various sensors and actuators, the capabilities of which approach those of a human pilot. It remains only to combine them under the guidance of smart electronics with elements of artificial intelligence – and the pilot has a whole squad of electronic assistants. Many of them are ready not only to warn of invisible danger, but also physically – by turning the wheels, braking or accelerating – to help avoid the dangerous and costly consequences of your inattention or mistake.

Such assistants are combined into the Drive Wise complex, which most KIA models already have. The total number of systems included in it has exceeded a dozen! Eleventh was the safe exit assistant (SEA, Safe Exit Assist), and the first among Kia models recently received the latest compact crossover Kia Seltos. With it, we will begin the story about all the systems that now make up the Drive Wise complex.

Safe Exit Assist (SAE)

Often you have to get out of the car on the roadway. Forgot to look out the window or side mirror before leaving? For such cases, the safe exit assistant is intended. Radars will determine if another car is approaching your car from behind, and the system will warn you – you can go right under the wheels! The assistant is able to “see” cyclists and bikers as well – and help avoid unpleasant contact between two-wheeled vehicles and your door. Agree, in a city with busy traffic, such a system has been asking for a long time.

Smart cruise control with traffic jam function (Smart Cruise Control, SCC)

Maintains a set speed and a safe distance from the car in front: a video camera and radar are used to control the distance. The system controls acceleration and deceleration and works even in traffic jams: it completely stops the car when the car in front stops and continues moving when the car starts moving. It's almost like a drone, isn't it?

Automatic emergency braking system (Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, FCA)

Using a video camera and radar, it determines the presence of obstacles in front of the car (vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists) and the speed of their movement. If the system determines that a collision is likely or imminent, it will alert the driver with visual and audible alarms while taking over control of the vehicle's braking and steering. He never takes a nap, does not stare around, is not distracted by social networks in his smartphone.

Lane Following Assist (LFA)

Unlike previous, less advanced systems that allowed the car to “drift” from one marking line to another, it ensures movement exactly in the center of the current lane. The lane boundaries are continuously monitored by a video camera – and whenever the system detects an inadvertent deviation from the ideal trajectory, it steers with subtle steer to keep the car in the center of the lane. And checks if there are any obstacles ahead.

Blind Spot Collision Warning (BSW)

Even the attentive in the mirror does not see everything! They have “dead” zones in which a whole car can hide, and even more so a bike. Therefore, the system, using a video camera and ultrasonic radars in the corners of the rear bumper, constantly monitors the presence and speed of other vehicles located to the side-behind of you. If it calculates the threat of a collision, it will warn the driver with visual and audible signals and even slow down itself.

Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)

With the help of a video camera, it constantly monitors the boundaries of the current lane. When the system determines that the vehicle is inadvertently (i.e. without turning on the turn signal) trying to leave its lane, it warns the driver with visual, audible and tactile signals and returns the vehicle to its original lane. At the same time, he teaches undisciplined pilots to always turn on the “turn signal” when changing lanes.

Intelligent automatic parking system (Smart Parking Assist System, SPAS)

Using ultrasonic sensors to monitor the surroundings, it allows you to park parallel or perpendicular to the sidewalk with minimal driver intervention. The system itself determines a suitable place for parking and rotates the steering wheel, detecting and taking into account obstacles such as pedestrians or vehicles not visible to the driver when maneuvering. The latter can only, at the command of the electronics, press the accelerator and switch the first and rear.

Reverse Parking Assist (Rear Cross Traffic Alert, RCTA)

To all the heroes who at least once, dying of fear, randomly and blindly backed into a busy street from a narrow passage or a row of parked cars! The system uses a rear-view camera and rear ultrasonic sensors to assess the situation invisible to the pilot. Having noticed a dangerous obstacle, it gives the driver visual and sound signals, preventing a collision, stuttering, early gray hair and even myocardial infarction. Operates at speeds up to 10 km/h.

High Beam Assist (HBA)

Guarantees maximum visibility at night and in low light conditions by controlling the high beam of car headlights. The built-in video camera recognizes the light emitted by passing and oncoming vehicles, as well as street lamps. If there is darkness around, the high beam is automatically activated. Having found a “foreign” light source, the system immediately cuts down its distant one.

Speed ​​Limit Information Function (SLIF)

A truly priceless chance to make driving not only safer, but also less expensive. A specially trained video camera reads from road signs and displays the current speed limits on the display, dashboard or directly into the cruise control settings, allowing you to save on fines for exceeding. And don't torture yourself with questions like “Am I driving too fast, and there seemed to be a sign, but here, it seems, a camera?”

Driver Attention Warning (DAW) recognition system

It monitors the state of the driver, analyzing his actions with the steering wheel depending on the trajectory of movement, the dynamics of acceleration and braking, as well as the amount of time spent behind the wheel. When the system considers that the driver is no longer quite adequate, it will warn about this with a sound signal and a burning indicator in the form of a cup of coffee. And a car that is ready to invite its owner for a cup of coffee, you see, is worth a lot!