Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist technology, “the foundation for the autonomous vehicles of the future,” will be available on the 2018 Rogue compact SUV, the automaker said.
ProPILOT Assist helps drivers maintain lane control, navigate stop-and-go traffic, maintain a set vehicle speed and maintain a set distance to the vehicle ahead, all with a simple two-button operation, according to Nissan.
ProPILOT Assist is available on the 2018 Rogue SL as part of the Platinum package.
“Nissan continues to democratize technology, bringing our most advanced systems to our highest-volume models, rather than reserving them for our most expensive vehicles,” said Michael Bunce, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America. “Customers are delighted when they realize they can afford technology usually reserved for high-end, expensive luxury vehicles. Bringing unexpected value is core to the Nissan brand and our Nissan Intelligent Mobility mission.”
Following the Rogue, ProPILOT Assist will next launch on the Nissan LEAF in January 2018.
Nissan said it has plans to extend the technology to more models in the United States, Europe, Japan and China, with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance planning to launch 10 models by 2020.
“The world is facing serious challenges such as climate change, traffic congestion, road fatalities and increasing air pollution,” Bunce said. “Through Nissan Intelligent Mobility, we are committed to addressing these challenges by making transportation safer, smarter and more enjoyable. The new ProPILOT Assist technology is a perfect example of how we can make drivers feel more confident and more connected to their vehicles.”
The 2018 Nissan Rogue’s new ProPILOT Assist “eases driver workload” by reducing the amount of driver acceleration, steering and braking input under certain driving conditions, according to Nissan. To activate the system, the driver pushes the blue ProPILOT Assist “ON” button, which is integrated into the right-side steering-wheel spoke. Step 2 is to set the Intelligent Cruise Control when the desired speed is reached, as with a normal advanced cruise-control system.
The system utilizes a forward-facing camera, forward-facing radar, sensors and electronic control module to help the driver stay in the center of the driving lane and to maintain vehicle speed (set by the driver) or help maintain a gap to the preceding vehicle if the vehicle speed drops below the driver-set speed. It also can slow the vehicle to a complete stop and holds the vehicle during traffic jam conditions.
Steering assist is cancelled in inclement weather if the windshield wipers are in the “low” or “high” position. If lane lines can be detected, the system can remain active when the wipers are in the intermittent mode or if the mist function is activated.
The driver’s input always takes priority, overriding the system when the steering wheel is turned or the turn signal is operated, according to Nissan. When the driver takes over, steering assistance goes into a temporary standby mode. The system also goes into temporary standby mode when the accelerator pedal is pressed. The system’s Intelligent Cruise Control and lane keep assistance are both cancelled when the brakes are applied.
“Tested about 200,000 miles on U.S. roads and tuned specifically for U.S. roads, ProPILOT Assist is designed to be more intuitive and user-friendly compared to other driver-assist technologies,” Nissan said. “It can potentially help lessen driver fatigue and create a more confident driving experience – especially for drivers who experience heavy highway traffic on a daily basis.”
