Hyundai SmartSense is the automaker’s name for its collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), which help you to maintain control of your vehicle during your drive and to avoid collisions when encountering potential threats.
Some 2021 Hyundai models don’t offer SmartSense, some include a basic version of it, and some have a long list of features that are included as a part of the package. As Hyundai continues to redesign its vehicles and roll out new models, it’s a good bet that the company will make SmartSense standard on all of its vehicles in the future.
In its most basic form, such as in the Hyundai Venue entry-level crossover SUV, Hyundai SmartSense includes forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and a driver attention monitoring system.
Small differences, like the ability to detect pedestrians, can vary across the lineup. Also, larger and more expensive models, such as the Hyundai Palisade, might also include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability and a lane following assistance system, which helps to center the vehicle in the lane of travel.
In addition to the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance systems, SmartSense upgrades include blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning systems, as well as active collision avoidance assistance for both of those functions. Automatic high-beam assistance, a rear-seat reminder system, and a Safe Exit Assist system that warns occupants not to open a door if traffic is approaching the Hyundai from behind.
Hyundai also offers Highway Driving Assist (HDA), which functions similar to a Level 2 semi-autonomous system. It pairs adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance with safe following distance and speed maintenance functions. It is meant to be used when the driver’s hands are on the steering wheel, and it works quite well, as we reported in our Hyundai Sonata Hybrid review.
In addition to a rear-seat reminder system, some Hyundai models, such as the Palisade and the Santa Fe, offer an Ultrasonic Rear Occupant Alert that goes beyond reminding the driver to check the rear seat before leaving the vehicle. This ultrasonic version of Hyundai’s rear-seat reminder system uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect movement after the driver turns off the engine and leaves the car. If it detects movement within the vehicle, it honks the horn, flashes the lights, and sends a text message to the vehicle owner. Hyundai says more models will be available with this feature in the near future.
Another SmartSense technology is Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA). Functionality ranges from basic with the Sonata sedan to complex with the Hyundai Nexo fuel-cell electric vehicle. In the Sonata, the technology moved the car forward and back in a straight line while the driver stands outside, operating the vehicle remotely using the key fob. In the Nexo, RSPA will autonomously park the hydrogen-fueled SUV in parallel and perpendicular parking spaces while the driver stands outside and monitors the proceedings.
The Nexo’s self-driven parking technology points the way to the future of Hyundai SmartSense. As the company redesigns its vehicles, as consumers become more comfortable with the technology, and as regulations allow, it’s clear that SmartSense technologies are likely to add greater autonomy to the drive.
The information in this article is from Hyundai. It was accurate on September 8, 2020 but may have changed since that date.
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