The cities are becoming more and more crowded, the parking situation more confusing and so the pressure in daily traffic increases. Small collisions often occur when maneuvering and parking, which can cause major annoyance. Small autonomous driving systems offer a remedy here and save unnecessary stress. In this article we would like to give you a detailed overview of the various functions and properties of the BMW Parking Assistant and Parking Assistant Plus.
These systems also include the Parking Assistant and Parking Assistant Plus from BMW. We would now like to present these two useful parking and steering systems to you in detail.
The Parking Assistant not only brings you precisely into tight spaces, but also has a number of other features that make your life in traffic a little easier. For example, it also includes a reversing assistant that automatically reconstructs the last meters traveled and frees you from tight situations without any problems.
What does a parking assistant do?
Don’t you know this feeling too? You have left the rush hour traffic behind you, you have almost arrived home and then the tiresome search for a parking space begins. A possible one is found quickly, but one is not sure whether the car will fit into the gap. Instead of shunting back and forth several times in order to continue looking at the end, you can now let the parking assistant do all of the work for you.
This measures the gap using various sensors in and on the car and with a simple push of a button the car parks as if by magic. The car takes over steering maneuvers, braking and acceleration of its own accord and based on the measured values. The assistant can also take care of parking for you later.
Watch this short video by BMW which demonstrates the working of parking assistant.
Using BMW Park Assistant
The parking assistant menu can be activated by selecting reverse gear or by pressing the Park Assistant button on the center console.
Select the desired parking space, and if required the orientation. Follow the instructions in the control display to carry out the parking procedure.
On some vehicles, the parking assistant button has to be pressed during the complete procedure.
You can cancel the procedure at any time. You can also override the system via braking or steering, parking assistant will continue the operation if desired.
Difference between BMW Parking Assistant and Parking Assistant Plus
The BMW Parking Assistant and Parking Assistant Plus contain basic and advanced functions that make parking easier or even easier for you in many different situations. In the table you can see in detail which functions the two systems have and how they differ.
BMW Parking Assistant & Parking Assistant Plus
- Backup camera
- Active Park Distance Control
- Side parking aid for parking on the roadside
- Automatic parking & reversing assistant
Exclusively in the Parking Assistant Plus
- Surround View System (including Top View)
- Remote-controlled parking with the BMW Display Key
Basically, the two wizards differ little in their function. Both ensure that your car gets safely into every parking space even in confusing situations and that even without you having to drive yourself.
The biggest difference lies in the visualization of the parking situation. The “Plus” variant provides an excellent overview and you can see your entire surroundings without leaving the car. Whether from a bird’s eye view or rather in a 3D model, the assistant displays the environment in the cockpit. In the standard version, this feature is omitted and the parking situation with its various distances can be better assessed using bars.
What is the difference between Parking Assistant and reversing camera?
There is a big difference between a parking & steering assistant and a simple reversing camera. The reversing camera extends the scope of the Parking Assistant with live images from the surroundings, but cannot actively intervene in the parking process. The Parking Assistant takes over this process for you and can use various sensors on the car to perfectly measure the parking space and park it fully automatically. Often, however, reversing cameras also offer various aids such as grids or the like that offer you a good spatial perception to maneuver the car safely into the selected space.
Does the system recognize whether the car fits into the parking space?
The system automatically detects parking spaces at a distance of 1.5 meters around the car and as soon as you drive less than 35 km/h or 22 mph. You can then start the parking process simply by engaging reverse gear and turning on the indicator or by pressing the Park Assistant button.
Can I retrofit a parking assistant in my car?
All in all, it should be noted that a fully-fledged parking assistant that completely relieves you of parking cannot be retrofitted. There are various options for retrofitting sensors that measure the distance to other cars or obstacles. These are available in various designs. However, it is advisable to take this decision into account at the time of purchase for reasons of cost alone, since retrofitting, depending on the model and system, can also become more expensive than during the configuration of your car.
For which models is the BMW Park Assistant available?
The BMW Parking Assistant is available as an option in all current BMW models. However, the Parking Assistant Plus is not available for the BMW 1 Series, BMW 2 Series, BMW X2 and BMW Z4.
Parking Assistant Demo BMW 3 Series
Watch this video to see BMW 3 Series parking assistant in action.
I would be interested in whether it is guaranteed that the function prevents the rims from running into the curb when parking in lengthways on the curb. Otherwise you will quickly have curb damage on the rim.
The BMW Parking Assistant Plus usually recognizes all obstacles. But since it is only an assistance system and therefore only has a supportive effect, as a driver you should always have an overview of your entire environment.
are you able to back into your garage with bmw x4 2022 park assist?