- Cadillac’s Super Cruise is the only high-speed driver assist system available that’s designed for hands-free driving.
- Super Cruise launched in 2017 on the Cadillac CT6 and uses high-definition lidar-created maps to navigate.
- The added lane-change feature is part of GM’s new digital vehicle platform.
In 2017, Cadillac unveiled Super Cruise on the CT6. The impressive driver-assistance suite offers up true hands-free driving—albeit only in predetermined locations—thanks to high-definition maps and in-car monitoring. Today, the automaker announced that Super Cruise is finally getting an automatic lane-change function and that it will be available on the 2021 Escalade.
The large SUV isn’t alone getting in on the hands-free action. In fact, the 2021 CT4 and CT5 will get the feature ahead of the Escalade. Super Cruise is eventually going to be rolled out to the entire Cadillac lineup. What won’t be around to enjoy the updated technology is the CT6, which is ending production this month.
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While it’s enabled, drivers will be able to engage an automated lane change by using the turn-signal stalk. The vehicle will use its new rear-facing sensors and updated algorithms to determine when an appropriate amount of space is available to safely make the move. In the cabin, the dash will display messages concerning the process including “looking for an opening” and “changing lanes.”
Unlike Tesla’s Autopilot, which can be turned on anywhere, Cadillac’s Super Cruise is geofenced to work only on predetermined highways. The automaker has a library of high-definition maps it uses for the feature. It currently supports more than 200,000 miles of roadways in the United States and Canada. Coupled with in-car monitoring that makes sure the driver is paying attention to the road, Super Cruise can offer up truly hands-free driving. That’s something you can’t do (yet) in a Tesla.
BMW has a similar hands-free system, but it’s only for speeds under roughly 40 miles per hour and is really meant for driving in gridlock on the highway. It also uses an in-car monitor to track the driver’s attention.
Sadly, owners of the CT6 equipped with Super Cruise will not have the option of upgrading the system to support lane changes. The new feature requires GM’s new digital vehicle platform, and the outgoing CT6 is not part of that architecture.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
