In the race for self-driving technology, Nissan is gearing up for a significant advancement in approximately a year with its next-gen ProPilot driver assistance system. According to the automaker’s lead engineer, only Tesla and Wayve are competing at the level Nissan is about to reach. Bold statements.
On Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan, Tetsuya Iijima, Nissan’s Executive Chief Engineer for adaptive safety systems and software-defined vehicles, informed The Drive that the next-generation ProPilot Assist system is set to debut in 2027. Japan will be the first market to receive it, followed by others “as soon as feasible.” The innovative system operates with enhanced hardware and new Nissan AI-powered software, and Iijima claims this technology is now “equivalent to or superior to a human [driver].” He was prepared to demonstrate this with proof.
After explaining the hardware, software, and logic-based framework, Iijima took us on a 40-minute journey around Tokyo in a Nissan Ariya featuring a prototype of the next-gen ProPilot. The ride encompassed both urban streets and highways in an entirely uncontrolled environment.
The Ariya test vehicle outfitted with the next-gen ProPilot Assist system resembled a non-production car previously available in the U.S., now discontinued, albeit with an additional black box on the roof that contained a sensor array. In actual production, this array will be integrated into the vehicle, but for prototypes, it is mounted externally for easier swapping and testing. Overall, there are 11 cameras, 5 radar sensors, and one Lidar unit. This matches Rivian’s forthcoming enhancements in self-driving technology for its electric R2 SUV later this year.
Upon taking my seat in the front passenger area of the Ariya, I immediately recognized this was a prototype due to a large yellow emergency kill switch embedded in the center console and two switches intended to disable systems if necessary. Fortunately, nothing occurred, but safety was prioritized, particularly on public roads.
When the system is finalized for production, the vehicle will have the capability to start autonomously from its parked position and exit the parking space. However, in this test scenario, Iijima manually navigated the car from its spot to the hotel entrance. From there, he activated the system on the touchscreen, allowing navigation to take control with Iijima not needing to touch the steering wheel, accelerator, or brake for the entire route. Not once. We all found it amusing when a police officer on a motorcycle glanced our way with a puzzled expression at the unusual situation.
I observed the Ariya autonomously exit the hotel parking lot, halting at various traffic lights, navigating uncontrolled intersections while making turns, responding to pedestrians unexpectedly crossing the streets, accommodating cyclists, merging onto and off of the highway, going beneath bridges, and under changing lighting conditions, all without any pre-planned setups, simply in real-life scenarios, and returned to the hotel front flawlessly.
One of the most remarkable and entertaining encounters we had, and by “we,” I mean the car, was immediately after making a left onto a two-way street. A situation arose where the right side of the street was blocked, creating a controlled one-lane two-way scenario managed by human construction workers wielding illuminated orange wands. A woman signaled for us to stop and wait for oncoming vehicles; the Ariya complied without honking even as time seemed to stretch. Once waved through, the Ariya navigated through the construction area seamlessly despite a cement truck backing into the closed road right next to us. It was genuinely impressive. Iijima laughed, noting that Nissan didn’t orchestrate that situation, but given the absurdity, it felt like it could have been a staged stunt. It wasn’t, making it even more amusing.
There were instances at certain stop lights where the Ariya may have opted for a more cautious stop compared to what I might have done, but this was due to being prudent and what the cameras detected regarding lane markings, pedestrians, and the overall context. In one occurrence, it yielded to a pedestrian where a more assertive driver (not referring to myself) might have continued knowing an accident was unlikely. A moment of excessive patience also occurred when someone didn’t accelerate immediately after the light turned green. I would have honked. The system clearly prioritizes safety, but one might debate that being overly cautious versus more aggressive could affect the difference between arriving safely at your destination instead of crashing into a white semi-truck.
Indeed, the system is capable of accelerating. Iijima mentioned that users can customize the system to adhere to the exact speed limit, go below it by a predetermined amount, or exceed it by a designated limit, but not surpassing 10 mph.
Iijima stated that the team considers this technology to be Level 4 capable in terms of self-driving features; however, it is labeled, referred to, and marketed as L2++. This distinction is primarily due to liability concerns and the reality that some countries currently lack the legal infrastructure for Level 4 systems, although the technology is capable, a fact demonstrated during the 40-minute journey in Tokyo.
Nissan has yet to determine the cost of the next-generation ProPilot Assist system, but Iijima emphasized the importance of offering it at a “reasonable price” to encourage widespread adoption. Additionally, Nissan has not finalized the vehicle that will introduce this system in the U.S. market, but in Japan, it will debut with the upcoming Elgrand van.
Based on a brief 40-minute experience, the system I experienced seemed as competent as a human driver. In fact, better than some. Whether this reflects more on human driving capabilities, the advanced system, or both remains ambiguous.
Nissan provided The Drive with transportation, lodging, some raw food I explicitly chose not to consume, and access to the vehicle for the purpose of crafting this article.