Image of a woman driving a car down the road.

6 driving situations where IQ.DRIVE can lend a hand

March 22, 2022 

No matter how focused you are when behind the wheel, or how careful you are in everyday driving, things happen—like a sudden obstacle or a vehicle you can’t see in your mirrors. And no matter how comfortable it is inside your vehicle, that highway commute can be a little stressful.

To help you better manage these situations, Volkswagen has developed advanced driver-assistance technology called IQ.DRIVE. Available on most 2022 Volkswagen vehicles and standard on the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon and ID.4 EV, IQ.DRIVE offers innovative features designed for convenience and peace of mind.

The system can alert you to obstacles in front, and helps keep an eye around you. On select models, it even includes hands-on semi-autonomous capability for a more comfortable driving experience.

Here are six real-world situations you might encounter when driving, and how IQ.DRIVE can give you added confidence.

IQ.DRIVE screen in the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4.

If you’d like reduced stress during your commute.

Maintaining focus and concentration over a long highway trip can lead to a surprising amount of fatigue. IQ.DRIVE includes technology designed to help make highway driving more comfortable. With your hands on the steering wheel, activate Travel Assist, a semi-autonomous driver-assistance system that uses a camera and sensors to keep your vehicle centered in its lane, and helps maintain a preset distance from the vehicle ahead. Note that Travel Assist will work only if the system senses both of your hands on the wheel.

Graphic depicts a Volkswagen vehicle nearing a lane marking on the road.

If your vehicle starts to drift into another lane.

Not using Travel Assist? IQ.DRIVE has you covered, and will intervene if it detects an unintentional lane change while traveling above 37 mph. Within the system limits, IQ.DRIVE is capable of keeping you in your lane as long as there are clear lane markings present.

Graphic depicts a Volkswagen vehicle nearing a car in its blind spot.

If there’s a vehicle in your blind spot.

Every vehicle has a blind spot—a point at which you might not be able to see a vehicle riding near yours in an adjacent lane. Should you attempt to make a lane change while a vehicle is in your blind spot, IQ.DRIVE can alert you. Within the limits of the system, it can also counter-steer to help avoid trouble if you continue to attempt a lane change after being alerted.

Graphic depicts Front Assist, monitoring a vehicle in front of a Volkswagen vehicle.

If there’s potential danger of collision with the vehicle ahead.

IQ.DRIVE helps monitor traffic and can alert you to a potential rear-end collision with the vehicle in front of yours. If you don’t fully react to the alert, the system can increase brake pressure or automatically apply the brakes. Within system limits, IQ.DRIVE can also warn you if there’s a pedestrian crossing in front of your vehicle and will, in certain circumstances, brake automatically if you don’t respond to the warning.

Graphic depicts a Volkswagen vehicle sensing a vehicle passing behind as they reverse with Rear Traffic Alert.

If you’re backing up and there’s a vehicle crossing behind yours.

Say you’re backing out of a narrow driveway onto a busy street, and obstacles like walls or parked cars are preventing you from getting a clear view of street traffic. While you’re in reverse, IQ.DRIVE engages sensors that can alert you to vehicles crossing behind yours, and can even help brake if needed.

Emergency Assist notification in the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4.

If you’re at the wheel and become unable to drive.

IQ.DRIVE monitors steering wheel activity and can deliver a series of alerts if it detects that your hands are not on the wheel and you are not actively operating the vehicle. If you don’t respond to these alerts, the system can bring the vehicle to a controlled stop.