Parallel parking is harder than reverse parking, especially in Singapore, where many of the streets tend to be narrow and most of the parking lots are still sized for yesterday’s Datsuns. Impatient drivers, busy traffic and increasingly congested urban conditions make matters worse.
But today’s cars are using high technology to keep your blood pressure low during tight parking manoeuvres. There are various types of parking assistance available on the market today, from basic “beep-bleep” set-ups to advanced systems, whose fancy features include sophisticated sonar, wide-angle cameras and big monitors with little “guidelines”. Sexy voice guidance by a digital girl inside the dashboard might be the next big thing.
Rear view cameras are quite common these days, making it possible to reverse park anything, from a Cefiro to a Gallardo, with inch-perfect precision. But the Tiguan goes one better with its Park Assist, which automatically and quickly shifts the car into a parallel lot, almost like magic.
There’s still a procedure to follow, of course. Maybe 20 years from now, you could command Version 10 of Park Assist to do its thing just by clapping your hands twice but, at this point in time, it’s not that futuristic.
It’s still fantastic, though. Say you spot an empty parallel lot between two cars. Firstly, you keep left in your Tiguan and press its dedicated Park Assist button. The system assumes by default that the lot is on your far side, and you need to configure it for the starboard side by signalling right. Step-by-step guidance is by idiot-proof graphics in the multi-function display between the instrument meters. Dumb blondes and blonde-haired Ah Lians (or himbos, for that matter) would find it easy to use.
After activation, Park Assist proceeds to “look” for a space big enough for your Tiguan, using sensitive infrared sensors in the bumpers. When a spot is located, the in-dash pictogram prompts you to continue driving towards the front. Once the Tiguan is in the optimum position for automated reverse parking, the flashing forward arrow changes to a rear-pointing arrow that kinks into the gap depicted, and a big “R” appears within the vehicular outline. You then engage the reverse gear, modulate the brakes as the SUV self-steers into the unoccupied lot, and listen to the beeping reverse sensors to know when to stop and take over the steering. Incidentally, if you try to twirl the wheel while it’s still working, the entire self-parking operation will be cancelled for safety.
Park Assist isn’t perfect, however. It doesn’t stop reversing by itself, so you need to keep your wits about you. Otherwise, your clever car will stupidly reverse into the vehicle behind. It also doesn’t detect bollards and other “strange” objects as it brings the Tiguan close to the kerb.
Volkswagen has recently revealed a development project called Park Assist Vision, which makes the Tiguan system look like child’s play. Still in the prototype stage, it allows you to park your ride via remote control from outside the vehicle, with the system cutting the engine and locking the cabin after it is done.
Car jockeys, you have been warned.
