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They have been talked about for years, but cars that park themselves have finally arrived. Two of the big manufacturers are set to announce “robot valets” that take control of the steering wheel and guide drivers effortlessly into tight spaces.

Using infrared sensors to judge the space and the approach angle, BMW and Volkswagen claim they take the hassle out of even the tightest street parking, and they predict that the technology will soon be available as an option on most types of car.

The arrival of this technology coincides with insurance company reports of a rising number of claims from parking-related incidents. “Residential streets are getting busier and cars bigger,” said an insurance industry spokesman. “Even a good driver can misjudge the angle while parking and hit the kerb.”

Although the German manufacturers claim to have put years of research into devising the most intuitive systems, they’re not the first. Earlier this year the Japanese maker Toyota introduced IPA (Intelligent Park Assist) – albeit only on two niche models. The Toyota system requires the driver to input instructions onto a screen, but it is clever enough to be able to park in a car park as well as on the street.

“Other systems may have got to market first, but we will have the best – one that is simple to use, inspires total confidence and is easier than parking the car yourself,” said Mark Harrison, a BMW spokesman.

Volkswagen will shortly take the wraps off its new system with the launch of the self-parking Touran. Unusually, this isn’t a top of the range model of the type usually chosen to showcase technology but is instead a modestly priced seven-seat MPV popular with women drivers.

“It’s got nothing to do with gender,” a spokesman said, “but we recognise that busy mothers probably need the most help parking.”

Volkswagen’s Park Assist will add about £500 to the basic £14,765 of the Touran, and the same system will be available on the Tiguan, VW’s forthcoming compact off-roader. BMW will not reveal which of its new models will have automatic parking but it is widely expected to feature on the next 7-series, due out next year.

The technology underlying these systems has been around for a while, but manufacturers have been cautious about installing it because of concerns about liability. What, for example, if the car had a collision while under the control of the robot valet? The jurisprudence has evolved with the increase in the number of driver aids being fitted to modern cars. Makers believe the introduction of a self-park system is only another small step in the same direction. Importantly, in terms of ensuring the driver remains legally in control, all of the new systems require the driver to use the brake and throttle to control the car’s movement while the automatic system takes over the steering.

The Toyota Prius, the petrol-electric hybrid favoured by American film stars, was the first car in Britain to feature a parking aid. Toyota’s system works differently from those to be launched by VW and BMW and requires the driver to use a display screen inside the car, on which appears a disclaimer with which the driver must confirm he agrees.

Toyota insists its Intelligent Park Assist “is not an automatic parking system” (because it doesn’t take control of the car) but “an innovative system that will assist with perpendicular and parallel parking manoeuvres”. IPA is standard on the £20,677 T Spirit model, which costs £2,100 more than the basic T4l. For the extra money you get a touchscreen satellite navigation system.

IPA is also available on the Lexus 460, Toyota’s luxury-brand flagship. It comes as standard on the £71,000 4.6 V8 SE-L model, or buyers can choose it as a £400 option on the £57,102 entry level 4.6 V8 version.

To test how well the rival systems operated we put the Touran, Prius and Lexus through a series of tests that included squeezing into a tight space, a timed trial and a test of whether systems could be used by a blindfolded driver.

VW Touran How does it work?

Driver engages a button that brings up a computer graphic of a row of parked cars on a dashboard display. If the car passes a large enough space the display will show an arrow directing the driver into it. The driver selects reverse then uses the brake and throttle pedals to control speed while the system takes over the steering. Beeps from parking sensors tell the driver when the car has been reversed far enough. The system disengages above 18mph. It will automatically look for spaces on the left-hand side of the road, but if you want to park on the right-hand side, you can engage the right indicator and the sensors on the right will activate.

How much does it cost?

When available shortly it will be about £500.

What models is it on?

VW Touran (available in a few weeks); VW Tiguan (due out late 2007)

How did it do in Sunday Times test?

Reverse parallel park? Yes

Reverse into car park space (perpendicular park)? No

Timed trial: 42 sec

Ease of use: Very easy

Blindfold test: Pass

Toyota Prius Spirit How does it work?

Toyota calls it Intelligent Park Assist, and to activate the system the driver presses a button on the dashboard. Once this is done, the satellite navigation screen displays the view behind the car using a rear-mounted camera above the numberplate once reverse gear is selected. Drivers then have the choice of parallel or perpendicular parking (the typical situation you find in a supermarket car park). Using touch-sensitive arrows on the screen the driver then has to move a three-dimensional box around until it is located in the space. This box represents where your car will end up and must be displayed in green or you will hit other objects when reversing. Once you are happy, you have to press another button on the screen confirming that you take responsibility for locating the box. Then it’s a simple case of easing your foot off the brake and letting the auto-box crawl the car into the space.

Reverse too fast and the system first warns you then disconnects itself, which happened a few times while we practised. The system allows a safety buffer of 1ft between your rear bumper and the car behind. At this point it shuts down and puts the driver back in control, so drivers usually have to do the last bit of reversing themselves.

How much does it cost?

It is a part of the £2,100 pack that includes satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity

What models is it on?

The Prius T Spirit (previously a £400 option)

How did it do in Sunday Times test?

Reverse parallel park? Yes

Reverse into car park space? Yes

Timed trial: 1min 14sec

Ease of use: Fiddly but it gets easier

Blindfold test: Not possible

Lexus LS 460 How does it work?

Very similar to the Toyota Prius system, the Lexus uses a rear parking camera to display a picture of the parking space on the satellite navigation screen. It allows both parallel and perpendicular parking but is more sophisticated than the Prius as it works in conjunction with the car’s parking sensors, so if you do wrongly position your parking box, or a pedestrian steps out behind the car, the sensors alert you to an impending impact. Just as with the Prius, locating the parking box on the screen does take a while and can be impossible to do if you have positioned your car too close to the space. It is also important not to reverse too rapidly or the system quickly disconnects.

How much does it cost?

It’s a £400 option on the 4.6 V8 and 4.6 V8 SE

What models is it on?

It’s standard on the top spec 4.6 V8 SE-L

How did it do in Sunday Times test?

Reverse parallel park? Yes

Reverse into car park space? Yes

Timed trial: 49 sec

Ease of use: Fiddly but it gets easier with practice

Blindfold test: Not possible

Nicholas Rufford says: VW has come up with a system that is simple and robust. You don’t have to use a touch-sensitive screen. You just press a button and then follow simple instructions, so if your ability with gadgets is as poor as your parking, it makes life easy. Unlike the Toyota and Lexus systems, it won’t help you park in a supermarket parking space, but otherwise it’s the better choice.

Jason Dawe says: All the systems take a bit of getting used to. Making sure the car is in the correct starting position for the manoeuvre is very important and took me around half a dozen attempts before I had it sussed. The Lexus and Prius are definitely slower and fiddlier to use but do have the advantage of being able to park in supermarket spaces as well as on the street.

To me all the systems still feel as though they need some development before they can match the speed and accuracy of a competent driver, but there is no doubt that this technology is the future.

At around £400-£500 I can see parking assist systems becoming a sought-after option and probably a standard fit on many cars within the next five years. At the moment I would like to combine the simplicity of the VW system with the extra functions of the Lexus and Toyota, and I’m sure that possibility isn’t far off.

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