Emotion-enabled autopilots offer range of branded self-driving styles
Self-driving algorithms across all automakers have had one major flaw: uniformity. Safe driving is fine, but boring is bad for business. Luckily this is about to change, with new emotive driving styles being woven deep into the tech stack and offering brands new opportunities to stand out.
Leading the pack is BMW. The wizards from München are launching a range of auto-pilot styles that go to the heart of what it means to own a Beamer. For example, 'Pro Tailgate' will bring you right up to within 80cm of the vehicle in front of you, and keep you there regardless of what that loser does to try and shake you off. 'Boss Cruise' acts like any cruise control, but keeps the car in the fast lane at 20 km/h above the speed limit and will automatically honk at anyone getting in the way.
Others are not far behind. Alfa Romeo has a new urban driving mode called 'Sbrigati' which keeps the vehicle in 1st gear at all speeds below 60 km/u. In contrast, Peugeot's new autopilot has only one speed setting, which keeps you 15 km/h below the speed limit regardless of the traffic situation. Tata's 'Bangalore' setting uses the horn as sonar for safe distancing and Citro?n's cheeky 'Auto-Stall' adds an oh-so-familiar delay when pulling up from the traffic lights.
Mercedes has not yet announced any new features yet but Reddit posts show leaked code that would imply the E-class can recognize the difference between regular pedestrians and those flagging down your taxi.
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Heb je ook nog eentje voor VW golfjes? Gasgeven bij stoplicht en optrekken met rokende banden. De setting werkt overigens alleen als er een klein autootje naast je staat.