New Nissan Driver Assist Feature Discourages Hogging Left Lane

On two-lane highways with curves or hills, cars will line up behind a slow vehicle. On four-lane highways and interstates, cars will line up behind the vehicle, passing the slow vehicle. If that slow vehicle is in the left lane, people will grudgingly and angrily pass on the right. Unless, of course, there is an equally slow vehicle in the right lane. That is when tempers rise. In the Dick Smith Nissan of Columbia, inventory right now are vehicles with a new driver assist safety feature to address this that you will immediately wish was on all cars. 

This technology is part of the Left Change Assist feature of Nissan’s ProPilot Assist 2.1 hands-free highway driver system. The system integrates with the on-board navigation system to know: 

• If you are on a system-compatible road 
• What kind of road you are on (two or four-plus lanes, divided, etc.) 
• What the road will do just ahead (curve, lose a lane, etc.) 

If the road and system are compatible and the system is engaged, you can take your hands off the wheel and feet off the pedals. Your Nissan will continue within the lane at your designated speed and then stay a designated distance behind a slower vehicle it encounters. Passing a vehicle is done manually, which is one reason why you must still pay attention to the road when the system is engaged. 

The Left Change Assist feature works as follows: When on a four-lane highway, with the system engaged, after the driver passes a vehicle, if the vehicle remains in the left lane noticeably longer than necessary, the driver will get an alert suggesting he or she return to the right lane. Don’t you wish everyone had one of those? 

ProPilot Assist 2.1 is available on the 2025 Nissan Rogue SL and Platinum grades, which feature Google Built-in for their multimedia operating systems. The system comes standard with Google Map navigation. It will also be available on the 2025 Nissan Armada, a three-row full-size SUV equipped with Google Built-in, when it arrives in early 2025. You can expect ProPilot Assist 2.1 to be available on more Nissan models in the future as they adopt the Google Built-in system. 

ProPilot Assist 2.1 can make a world of difference in reducing driver fatigue when driving long distances on interstates and other controlled-access highways. The Left Change Assist is a minor addition that you hopefully will never use but will be grateful for if activated. Dick Smith Nissan of Columbia invites you to check out this system and all the other impressive aspects of the 2025 Rogue.