Vehicles that park almost by themselves, an innovation of the automotive industry in Ecuador

Autonomous driving – a vehicle capable of driving itself without human intervention – is one of the areas in which the automotive industry has invested in research in recent years and which has resulted in various applications of this technology, such as self-parking or those with a semi-assisted parking system.

Cars with this technology emerged as a solution to simplify the task of parking, eliminating the need for drivers to perform complicated parking maneuvers. The system uses smart cameras and sensors to detect suitable parking spaces and, after selecting a space, takes partial control of the vehicle for safe and precise maneuvering.

These are the best-selling vehicles in Ecuador in the first half of 2023, nearly surpassing the records of 2011 and 2018.

In this way, different brands in the country are joining the trend by exhibiting their models equipped with this technology. Among them are the Opel Grandland Business Elegance and the Peugeot 5008, which are European models represented by Nexumcorp, as a semi-assisted modality.

The latest version of Grandland Business Elegance was presented in May this year. There is an option on the screen parking assistance for performing assisted parking maneuvers. There are three ways: entering a queue parking space, exiting a parking space and entering a battery space.

Front and rear parking sensors and a rear camera with 360 vision detect obstacles and display the vehicle’s surroundings on the screen, in all details, to make parking and maneuvering easier. The driver should only use the gas.

Vehicles assembled in Ecuador are gaining traction, even though the Chinese are doubling them, but their origin sales are slowing

This vehicle originates in Germany and arrives in several Latin American countries, including Ecuador, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay. It arrived in the country in 2019, and the version is updated every year.

Sales of this model represent 1.6% of all cars of this brand, according to data from Nexumcorp. The price is 44,990 dollars.

The Peugeot 5008 also offers the same semi-assisted parking alternatives. In this case, the driver only has to follow the instructions that appear on the screen, which includes locating the vehicle and applying the gas and brake as needed. The price of this model is 47,990 dollars.

The sales percentage of this model, which has been on the market since 2018, is 1.24%, said Gabriela Farías, manager of the Peugeot dealership, adding that the brand plans to introduce three electric SUV models during the next year.

Meanwhile, South Korean brand Hyundai is also riding this technology wave. At the Autoshow, it presented the Ioniq 5, a 100% electric SUV that also has advanced technology that allows it to park completely independently without the assistance of a driver. This is how Héctor Quiroz, head of marketing, promoted it at the event.

Remote parking has two options: from the console or center panel by pressing the button located between the radio and the air conditioner, and the parking instructions appear there. And with control from outside the car, leaving programming on the center panel in advance. They were meant for the event.

The reference price is $67,990.