Autonomous from PSA

Autonomous from PSA

The pretty driver takes her hands off the steering wheel with a smile and presses a few buttons. As if controlled by magic, the Citroën follows its path, changes lanes and adjusts its speed. The pilot only has to blink to show the car the desired change of direction. We are on the motorway between Paris and Le Mans, very close to the PSA test center from which we set off. Or does it actually mean “became”? The car is a test vehicle, packed with measuring devices, additional cameras and sensors. And it works surprisingly well. However, we are told that we currently only drive on the motorway because we are not yet entirely sure of the technology in city traffic, even though we have the necessary permits. But we can only see a horizon of 2025 to 2030, when the cars would be completely driverless. But from the beginning. The French divide the topic of “autonomous driving” into four levels. Level 1 is driving with various assistants, such as lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, front brake assistant with pedestrian detection. There are also various parking aids. Level 2 is the lane change assistant, which is already a standard feature for the competitor from Stuttgart. Here the vehicle changes lanes independently, for example to maintain the specified speed, but the driver is still involved in the action. PSA wants to bring it onto the market with the C7 Crossback next year. The situation is different with Level 3, which, if the French have their way, should come around 2025. Here the driver can read the newspaper or do other things, such as the current television program, the car does everything by itself. You go even further with level 4. Here a “control person” behind the steering wheel (if one still exists) is completely unnecessary, you can sleep confidently if you are tired. Finally, Level 5 should be a type of car sharing, completely autonomous of course.

At PSA's autonomous driving day, which also included customers, so-called “friendly users,” for the first time, people never tired of praising the advantages of automated driving. What we're talking about here is increased safety, more free time for yourself and getting rid of boring kilometers on the motorway that you as a driver have to sit through with some concentration. However, the word “driving fun” does not appear anywhere.

“The Citroën moves along its path as if controlled by magic.”FRANZ FARKAS