Kia promises semi-autonomous tech by 2020

Kia will introduce a raft of autonomous driving technology by 2020, and plans to offer a vehicle that can drive completely by itself within the next 15 years.

The company will be investing around $2bn by 2018 towards the development of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technologies and getting more man power. The Korean carmaker’s timeline is somewhat more conservative than those of companies like Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Tesla, but the announcement still shows that Kia is jumping on the autonomy bandwagon.

Overthe longer-term, Kia is targeting 2030 for the introduction of fully-autonomous vehicles.

Kia is planning to introduce a range of partially-autonomous ADAS technologies in the coming years, with an array of new functions anticipated for introduction to market by 2020.

Meanwhile, the partially-autonomous ADAS technologies to be introduced by 2020 includes, Highway Driving Assist (HDA), a combination of the Lane Guidance System (LGS) and Advanced Smart Cruise Control (ASCC).

“Hyundai-Kia’s goal is to make [such technology] available at an affordable price”, by optimizing system architecture with production-based sensors, says Tae-Won Lim, Hyundai Motor Group Central Advanced Research and Engineering Institute vice president. It will automatically maintain a safe following distance, observe speed limits, and pass other cars without human involvement, the automaker says.

Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) is similar to HDA, it tracks vehicles in front, in moderate-to-heavy congestions.

Other technologies under development will focus on taking pressure off drivers in congested traffic, or handling parking maneuvers for parallel or perpendicular spaces. The “Remote Advanced Parking Assist System” will allow cars to park themselves without the driver onboard, Kia says. These technologies are primarily created to make driving safer and easier for Kia customers by identifying hazards at the earliest possible opportunity and allowing the driver – or the auto – to take the appropriate reaction.

The key is the vehicle being able to communicate directly with its surroundings before it encounters them, predicting rather than reacting to situations as they arise.