[ad_1]
Adaptive Cruise Control is so 2020. It is the entry-level price for vehicles above a certain price, and in fact every trim level of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L 2021 receives this advanced driver assistance function. To really excite buyers, automakers need to offer a hands-free system like GM’s Super Cruise or Ford’s BlueCruise, the latter of which is just beginning to hit the market. With the launch of the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, most of the parts of Stellantis’ answer to these systems are in place via the automaker’s new Active Driving Assist feature, but the full hands-free variant is still a few months away.
This is how the active driver assistant works
What sets Active Driving Assist apart from the simple old adaptive cruise control is a more sophisticated sensor system that includes cameras that inform the various other ADAS systems, as well as three forward-facing and two rear-facing radar units. The system also uses a predictive algorithm to infer the intended direction of travel and keep the vehicle in lane. But in 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L models equipped with this feature, you need to keep a hand on the wheel.
Capacitive touch steering wheel
By using a capacitive touch steering wheel, the system can more accurately identify when the driver is physically having a hand on the steering wheel, rather than just a sock full of quarters draped over a spoke to simulate a thumb. At the moment, the Active Driver Assistant is simply adaptive driver assistant with much better lane centering and works on most roads with robust lane markings.
Take your hands off the steering wheel for too long and the green light on the instrument panel bezel will turn amber. If you still don’t grip the steering wheel, it will turn red and the system will suddenly hit the brakes to wake you up. If you still do not grip the steering wheel, the vehicle is parked.
Here, there, not everywhere
In 2022, when the driver monitoring cameras of the Grand Cherokee Ls equipped in this way become active and switch the hands-free active driver assistant online, the Stellantis system will certainly work similarly to GM’s Super Cruise and Ford’s BlueCruise. As long as the driver focuses his attention on the road ahead, longer, hands-free driving is permitted.
This system also only works on approved highways with restricted access. We will be curious to see how Stellantis’ approved road network compares to GM and Ford’s, which are “more than” 200,000 and 100,000 miles of limited access freeways, respectively.
ADAS supports new electrical architecture
The Jeep Grand Cherokee L 2021 features a new electrical architecture that includes 81 control modules and three power distribution centers. It communicates over three different networks: Ethernet, CAN and CAN FD. The latter stands for “Controller Area Network for flexible data”. CAN FD sends message packets and can process several messages at the same time, as is required for active driver assistance systems.
How much does the active driver assistant cost?
Today’s hands-on system is standard at the top of the line Grand Cherokee L Summit. It’s also available as part of the Advanced Protech Group III package for Overland models valued at $ 1,995, which also has an integrated off-road camera, surround view camera system, head-up display, rearview camera -Wash system and a map contains -Cluster display, intersection collision assistant, highway assistant, rear-facing indoor camera and night vision with pedestrian and animal detection.
Of course, choosing this option also forces you to choose the Luxury Tech Group IV package worth 1,995 US dollars (four-zone climate control, electrically adjustable 12-way front seats with memory, manual blinds in the second row, wireless charging pad , automatic darkening of the rear view). Digital display mirror) so adding the system to a 2021 Grand Cherokee L Overland is an expensive proposition. We expect Hands-Free Active Driving Assist to roll out as a standalone feature when it goes online next year, likely at a price at least as much as Ford for Co-Pilot360 with BlueCruise on the Mustang Mach-E (1,900 US dollars) or Chevy charged for Super Cruise on the Bolt EUV (2,200 USD).
[ad_2]
