MINI's high-tech driver assist program
BMW's youth sub-brand to entrench itself at leading edge of light car segment with major safety tech rolloutMINI has announced plans to offer a raft of driver assist systems through its line-up of small vehicles. They will start to appear in the 2014 MINI Cooper early next year, set for a shared global debut at the Los Angeles and Tokyo motor shows in November.
The announcement amounts to a catch-up-and-overtake game for BMW’s youth-oriented sub-brand, as a number of the technologies such as park assist and rear-view camera are already offered by its competitors.
But on some fronts, the technologies will push MINI up to the premium small car segment’s cutting edge, inheriting from its parent company a number of systems more common among the larger premiums than the littlies. They include head-up display, speed limit info, high-beam automation and collision/pedestrian warning with automatic braking.
Further up the advancement ladder are traffic sign memory with no-passing info and video-based speed and distance regulation.
MINI has reinterpreted the head-up display system to accommodate the uncommonly vertical windscreen that’s a brand hallmark. This makes it impossible to project the HUD info on to the windscreen from a panel ahead of the instrument binnacle in the normal manner. Instead, it will appear on a small, high-resolution fold-up display monitor atop the dash.
The monitor can be adjusted to fit any driver’s line of sight between the windscreen and the steering wheel. It can also be set up to draw from a diverse range of information, including digital speed readout, sequential navigation instructions, visual collision warnings, speed limit and no-passing symbols and audio system details identifying radio stations or media tracks.
The collision and pedestrian warning system uses a camera mounted ahead of the interior rear-view mirror. Operating between 15 and 60km/h, it works in three phases. On detection of a hazard ahead, it first flashes a warning on the display, then beeps audibly. As the danger heightens, it brakes automatically.
The system defaults to 'on' when the car is started, but can be switched off when the driver wishes. It can also be set for “early”, “medium” or “late” activation.
The speed limit info system uses the same camera to read speed limit signs day and night, interpreting them contextually when it’s needed. For example, if it detects a freeway sign imposing reduced speed limits in wet conditions – “80 when wet” – and the wiper sensors confirm it’s raining, it will display an advisory on the HUD.
Capable of gathering data from both static and dynamic speed limit signs, the system will be programmed to take into account signage differences from one country to the next.
MINI has also leveraged the camera for a new adaptive cruise system. Switchable between simple and adaptive cruise modes, in the latter it operates like a conventional braked package until it detects traffic in the lane ahead, at which point the distance gauge cuts in. Operating between 30 and 140km/h, it switches itself off when it detects the vehicle ahead dropping below 30 kays. It’s also capable of registering stationary and swerving vehicles ahead.
The MY14 MINIs are expected to debut in Australia by March or April, 2014.
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