I just saw this video of a 2007 Prius with auto-park feature, just like the Lexus. Car Tech: Super-green Toyota Prius parks itself - Technology Videos from Crave at CNET.co.uk How come U.S. doesn't get any of these features?
Toyota introduced the auto-park feature with the Prius, then moved it to Lexus. The U.S. tends to be overly litigious, so we don't get some of the cooler features for fear of lawsuits. Tom
Probably the same reason to exclude EV mode from our continent? Too bad it wasn't as easy as buying a Canadian version with all the bells and whistles, then driving across the border. I don't know if I would go to Mexico to buy a Prius, to bring back to the US. Does the Canadian version have everything in metric, like the speedometer?
The IPA (Intelligent Park Assist) was standard on top-spec T-Spirit models from 2006 in the UK. My T-Spirit has it and I think it's more of a novelty than a necessity; I've used it once briefly just to see how it works. The system integrates with the rear camera and it will parallel park on a road as well as a parking lot. The IPA controls the steering wheel and you use the tranmission creep to move while covering the brake. A voice (the same as the sat nav) confirms when you've reached the target. It's cool but takes too long to set up. If you had people waiting behind you before you parked, they'd get pretty hacked off waiting for you to select the parking target, confirm it, agree to the disclaimer and then start moving.
don't get too jealous... my 2007 tspirit ( "sparky" ) has it, but Ive only ever used it for real once, it takes ages to set up and you can't use it if there is other traffic around. They would get hacked off while you set it up. But for the wow factor it is great for demonstrating the prius. I use it to demo to people at least every other week ! A question back, do prii without the IPA have the green yellow and red paths overlaid on the backup camera screen ?
IPA is also in french Prius models, but I had the choice between 9HP JBL audio system or IPA, I chose JBL...
i wonder if one can order the parts for the intelligent parking assist and install it themselves.. maybe its just a module that plugs into the AVN bus? it would require another camera oh yeah i forgot about that, sounds to me that the multi cd changer invalidates the parking assist
that guys knowledge of the prius is pretty bad, sounds like someone who just wants a fast car and doesn't care about anything else... but I can't see myself using the parking assist, ever. Looks like it takes so long to setup, by that time I will have 10 people behind me honking their horns. Plus I wouldn't trust the system
It uses the same camera, IPA uses the same place as the JBL audio system under the passenger seat, so you have to choose between the two... and it also invalidates the 6CD Changer.
Not that I know of. The boxes are only seen on IPA-equipped models. We get the "Check Your Surroundings" warning at the bottom of the screen.
i thought i read somewhere that the intelligent parking assist uses a front camera as well and when i go home ill check the service manuals, i think they got 2 entries for cameras as devices.. now if we can just get a parts list going, with the part numbers
nope only a back camera, nothing on the front.That's why you are asked to "check your surroundings"...
I have IPA in my car but I haven't used it. I started to have a go but it was so painfully slow it was quicker to just reverse park the good old normal way, looking over my shoulder and ignoring the MFD screen. Nice toy, not worth much though.
Sorry, but no. I have IPA and a 6-CD changer in my 2004. I am fast at using it, but faster still at parallel parking on my own.
Yes, but perhaps not the same one as yours. The "entertainment" functions are AM/FM, 6-CD changer, TV, MiniDisc player, and emergency road notifications. These were all factory features and the car was originally a JDM vehicle.
