Car makers are sharply divided on whether to offer level-three (L3) autonomy as they weigh up the cost versus the reward.
Currently only BMW and Mercedes offer 'hands-off, eyes-off' autonomy in their flagship limos, and then only in Germany and select American states at traffic jam speeds.
More cars are scheduled to join their ranks, with a total of 25,000 L3-enabled global sales forecast for this year, rising to more than a million in 2026, according to Counterpoint Research.
But who will join the two German brands? The cost of the technology is very much in the premium range. Renault recently took itself out of the running, and Volkswagen is similarly wary of the cost.
"We are not premium or luxury," Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer said. Instead, he flagged demand for handsoff, eyes-on level-two-plus (L2+) tech, which allows the car to take over many of the driving functions but with the driver supervising at all times.
Mercedes is likewise looking to introduce L2+ tech in its next CLA (see bottom left).
Esta historia es de la edición June 05, 2024 de Autocar UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 05, 2024 de Autocar UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon
LEXUSLBX
Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading
Once more, with feeling
AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days
ALPINE A290
The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models
