Nissan's semi-autonomous ProPilot driving system set to arrive in Japan next month

Nissan’s new semi-autonomous driving system – ProPilot – is set to arrive in the $28,758 Serena minivan, though  the company have specifically warned users not to overestimate what its feature is capable of.

"Its functions are meant to support drivers, and are not meant as self-driving capabilities" which let drivers look away from the road, as stated by the Executive Vice President Hideyuki Sakamoto. "These are two very different things."

ProPilot is designed for single-lane use. Like Tesla’s system, it requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel even when in use. If the hands are removed, a warning sign will flash after four seconds and an alarm will sound after ten seconds.

The feature will automatically control the distance between the car and the vehicle in front, using speeds preset by the driver of between 18mph and 60mph. It can also keep the car in the center of a lane using its 360-degree camera system and on-board processors. ProPilot is built to ease driver workload when highway traffic is heavy and on long commutes.

If the car in front comes to a complete stop, so will the Serena. It won’t resume moving without direct input from the driver; tapping on the gas or pressing the ProPilot button will release the brakes.

While the ProPilot in current form is intended as a driver’s aid, the company will be introducing more autonomy to the system over the coming years. The ability to handle multiple-lane switching is set to arrive in 2018, and it should be able to take on urban roads and intersections by 2020.

Nissan also said that it planning to implement the ProPilot into the Qashqai sports utility vehicle crossover models in the next few months. The system is set to launch in Europe sometime on 2017, and it will arrive in US and China at later date.