German automotive company BMW on Sunday said its new seventh-generation 5 Series launched in Korea last February is the fruit of the carmaker’s cutting-edge partial self-driving technology.

BMW Korea sold a total of 8,063 units of the new seventh-generation 5 Series between February and July this year, the company said.
 

The 5 Series is BMW’s best-seller, with over 7.6 million units sold worldwide since its launch in 1972.

“The slew of driving assistant systems equipped in the new 5 Series has raised the partial driving offered by BMW vehicles to another level, ultimately offering enhanced safety and convenience for drivers,” said a spokesperson of BMW Korea.

BMW Korea highlighted how the active cruise control installed in the sedan can detect the speed and movement of two vehicles ahead, compared to the active cruise control offered by most carmakers that can only sense one vehicle in front.
 

Depending on traffic conditions, the active cruise control can also automatically restart the vehicle in three seconds from standstill while driving.

Active cruise control is a partial automated driving system that adjusts car speed, thereby maintaining a safe distance from vehicles ahead.

To prevent accidents, a lane keeping assistant automatically takes control of the steering wheel when the driver goes out of lane or a vehicle is spotted in the blind spot at speeds of between 70 to 210 kilometers per hour, the company said.

At speeds 9of between 30 to 210 kph, a side collision warning vibrates the steering wheel when a car in a surrounding lane is about to crash into the new 5 Series sedan.

The side collision warning also moves the steering wheel to a safe direction once it spots sufficient space and the partial self-driving system is automatically turned off with intervention by the driver, the company said.

With aims to develop a full self-driving car by 2020, BMW is currently working with Intel, Mobileye and Fiat Chrysler to develop an autonomous driving platform. 

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)