Pilot Assist*1
How Pilot Assist works
The Pilot Assist function is primarily intended for use on highways and other major roads where it can help provide a more comfortable and relaxing driving experience.
Camera and radar sensor
Distance monitor
Lane marker line monitors
The driver sets the desired speed and distance to the vehicle ahead. Pilot Assist monitors the distance to the vehicle ahead and the traffic lane's side markers using the camera and radar sensor. The system maintains the set time interval to the vehicle ahead by automatically adjusting your vehicle's speed and keeps your vehicle in its lane by providing steering assistance.
Pilot Assist's steering assistance is based on monitoring the direction of the vehicle ahead and the traffic lane's side marker lines. The driver can override Pilot Assist's steering recommendations at any time and steer in another direction, e.g. to change lanes or avoid obstacles on the road.
If the camera/radar sensor cannot detect the lane's side marker lines or if Pilot Assist is unable for some other reason to clearly interpret the lane, Pilot Assist will temporarily deactivate steering assistance until it can once again interpret the lane markings. However, the speed and distance warnings will remain active. The driver will be alerted by slight vibrations in the steering wheel that the function has been temporarily deactivated.
Warning
The color of the steering wheel symbol indicates the current status of steering assistance:
• GREEN indicates that steering assistance is active
• GRAY (as shown in illustration) indicates that steering assistance is deactivated.
Warning
- The function is supplementary driver support intended to facilitate driving and help make it safer – it cannot handle all situations in all traffic, weather and road conditions.
- The driver is advised to read all sections in the Owner's Manual about this function to learn of its limitations, which the driver must be aware of before using the function.
- Driver support functions are not a substitute for the driver's attention and judgment. The driver is always responsible for ensuring the vehicle is driven in a safe manner, at the appropriate speed, with an appropriate distance to other vehicles, and in accordance with current traffic rules and regulations.
Pilot Assist regulates speed by accelerating and braking. It is normal for the brakes to emit a slight sound when they are being used to adjust speed.
Pilot Assist attempts to smoothly regulate speed. The driver must apply the brakes in situations requiring immediate braking. For example, when there are great differences in speed between vehicles or if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly. Due to limitations in the camera and radar sensor, braking may occur unexpectedly or not at all.
Pilot Assist attempts to follow a vehicle ahead in the same lane and maintain a time interval to that vehicle set by the driver. If the radar sensor does not detect a vehicle ahead, it will instead maintain the speed set by the driver. This will also happen if the speed of the vehicle ahead exceeds the set speed for your vehicle.
Important
In curves and forks in the road
Pilot Assist is designed to interact with the driver. The driver should never wait for steering assistance from Pilot Assist, but instead should always be ready to increase his or her own steering efforts, particularly in curves.
- When the vehicle is approaching an off-ramp or a fork in the road, the driver should steer toward the desired lane to indicate to Pilot Assist the desired direction of travel.
Pilot Assist strives to keep the vehicle in the center of the lane
When Pilot Assist provides steering assistance, it strives to position the vehicle in the center of the lane between the lane markings. To make the driving experience as smooth as possible, the driver should permit the vehicle to find good positioning. The driver should check that the vehicle is positioned safely in the lane and can always adjust the vehicle's position by applying more force to the steering wheel.
- If Pilot Assist does not position the vehicle appropriately in the lane, the driver should turn off Pilot Assist or switch to Adaptive Cruise Control*.
Hands on the steering wheel
Pilot Assist only functions if the driver's hands are on the steering wheel.
If Pilot Assist detects that the driver's hands are not on the steering wheel, a symbol and text message will appear to instruct the driver to actively steer the vehicle.
If the driver's hands are still not detected on the steering wheel after a few seconds have passed, the instructions to actively steer the vehicle will be repeated, accompanied by an audible signal.
If Pilot Assist still does not detect the driver's hands on the steering wheel after a few more seconds have passed, the audible signal will become intense and the steering function will switch off. Pilot Assist must then be reactivated by pressing the 
button on the steering wheel.