ÖAMTC tests parking assistants

ÖAMTC tests parking assistants

ÖAMTC technician Daniel Deimel: “All systems examined were able to park the vehicles reliably according to the available functions.” But: “As a rule, experienced drivers park significantly faster.” The ÖAMTC expert sees potential for improvement in two areas in particular: "On the one hand, some obstacles, such as high curbs or metal poles, are not reliably detected - expensive repairs can be the result. On the other hand, there is still room for improvement when it comes to recognizing parking spaces; the assistants repeatedly found parking spaces that would have actually offered enough space to be too small." In any case, the responsibility lies with the driver himself, who must always be ready to intervene. However, thanks to his assistant, he can concentrate more on his surroundings, which ultimately represents a safety gain.

Expensive gimmick

The parking assistants of the Aiways U5, which are not yet available in Austria, the Kia Sorento and the Mercedes S-Class (each on board as standard) as well as the BMW 5 Series, Ford Focus, Porsche 911 and VW Touareg (all subject to an additional charge) were tested. The assistants in the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes S-Class most closely correspond to the idea of ​​completely autonomous parking. ÖAMTC expert Deimel explains: “Here, a parking space that has been found simply needs to be confirmed and the vehicle parks itself without any further action from the driver being necessary.” Of course, this much comfort also comes at a price: you have to pay over 3,000 euros extra for the BMW 5 Series, but the assistant is part of the standard equipment in the generally high-priced S-Class. The parking assistants for Aiways U5 and Ford Focus (surcharge approx. 700 euros) have fewer functions than other systems, but they still park accurately and score points with their ease of use. However, with both you have to stay seated in the car. Not so with other systems, including the Kia Sorento's standard parking assistant. “There are dedicated buttons on the key that control the car forwards or backwards into or out of a tight parking space,” explains the ÖAMTC technician. VW Touareg and Porsche 911, on the other hand, can handle practically all parking maneuvers, where you either sit in the vehicle or control it from the outside with your smartphone. The latter in particular should be viewed as a gimmick; the app is currently too complicated and unreliable. At over 5,000 euros each (incidentally, the Touareg can only be selected with the plug-in hybrid together with other extras), the surcharge is not a bargain.