VW open day showcases innovations for Chinese drivers

Last month, Volkswagen's Car-Net system was put into use in some imported vehicles. The company said the system provided a seamless link between the car and mobile devices and offered a full suite of security features and maintenance assistance and navigation tools.

Volkswagen engineers in Beijing also helped adapt the company's powertrain technology to improve engine efficiency and reduce pollution. The Volkswagen R&D Center in Beijing introduced and adapted the company's core technologies from its global R&D center and implemented it in China with its joint ventures.

Volkswagen said it would continue to expand its R&D presence in China, provide more jobs and training and improve its ability to respond to the needs of its customers.

Following the event in Beijing Volkswagen plans to host similar facility tours in Changchun and Shanghai.

Cutting-edge tech

Volkswagen has state-of-the-art assistance and convenience systems.

Area view: The camera-based surroundings visualisation system, celebrated its world premiere in the Touareg in 2010. The system was developed to enable a 360-degree overview of the close surroundings and traffic situation. The system has been significantly enhanced for the new Passat.

Park assist: It enables semi-automatic parking in parking spaces parallel or perpendicular to the road. It can also back the car out of parallel parking spaces. In the case of perpendicular parking spaces, not only is parking in reverse supported; it is also possible to park in a forward direction semi-automatically.

Trailer assist: Volkswagen is the world's first carmaker to market an assistance system that makes manoeuvring a trailer easier than ever: Trailer Assist. It automatically controls lateral guidance of the car and trailer combination. Volkswagen is the first carmaker to offer an innovative system of this kind. And this is how Trailer Assist works:

Side assist: Volkswagen has extended the functional range of its side assist driver assistance system by adding the new Rear Traffic Alert.

The system can help to prevent serious accidents. Particularly in two situations.

First, on the motorway, because it detects both fast overtaking vehicles and slow ones in the blind spot, warns the driver and thereby makes overtaking safer. Second, when reversing out of a parking space, because the sensors detect vehicles approaching from the side that are not visible to the driver. And this is how Side Assist works:

Traffic jam assist: Volkswagen developed its traffic jam assist based on Lane Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control. The system makes traffic jams or stop-and-go driving much more comfortable.

Emergency assist: As soon as the sensors detect that the driver is not exhibiting any steering, braking or acceleration activities, the system initiates various escalating actions to rouse the driver, and if the driver remains inactive, it initiates an emergency stop. The hazard lights unit is automatically activated, and the Passat executes a slight steering manoeuvre to make surrounding traffic aware of the hazardous situation.

Front assist: It includes city emergency braking function with pedestrian detection. Front assist is a system for warning the driver and braking automatically if a collision is looming.

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