Automotive Blog Automotive Blog brings you the latest news, car reviews and information on the automotive industry.
Stunt driver Alastair Moffatt has put Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ clever Park Assist technology to the ultimate test.
Finding a suitably sized parking space for vans is more than just a frustration, with UK van drivers being fined an average of £24 million a year for parking incorrectly.
To help customers overcome tight parking spaces and tough parking regulations, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles offers Park Assist technology across its van range, with the aim of reducing stress and enabling the driver to easily and safely park the van in its designated space.
To see if Park Assist can really park perfectly every time, parking world record holder, Alastair, put it to the test – pitting more than 25 years of experience against the technology in the ultimate parking challenge.
Both Alastair and Park Assist were tasked with completing a parallel park within a space of 7.5-metres – just a little larger than the 5.9-metre length of the Volkswagen Crafter – with an added twist that Alastair would be completing his manoeuvre as a handbrake turn.
The result was impressive with both successful mastering the Art of Parking, although Park Assist was certainly the more relaxing option.
“I was really impressed with how nimble the Volkswagen Crafter proved to be – handbrake turning such a big vehicle isn’t always easy,” said Alastair, who holds the world record for tightest single, double, triple and reverse parallel park.
“I’ve spent years mastering the art of parking but taking on Park Assist was still a real challenge because it was 100 per cent accurate every time. I really had to be on the top of my game to match it.”
