Ford Details 2010 Lincoln MKT Active Park Assist

Automakers across the world have developed more or less advanced parking assistance technologies, with some of them reaching mass production while others remained in prototype form. Ford is one of the companies which already debuted such a technology, namely the Active Park Assist, which is now available on the new 2010 Lincoln MKT luxury crossover vehicle.

According to a release by Ford, the technology was especially designed to give drivers an answer to all kind of questions, starting with "Will my vehicle fit?" and ending with "Am I too close in front or back?".

Basically, the system works very similar with other parking assistance systems already available on the market and can be activated through a single button placed on the center console. It automatically scans the adjacent area for an appropriate parking spot and tells the driver when to stop, shift to reverse and wait. Active Park Assist does it all: it automatically calculates the trajectory and it pulls the steering wheel, with the single driver interaction down to braking.

"If the vehicle is not positioned properly in the space, the system will continue to coach the driver for proper placement. The driver will shift and brake normally, but the system steers the vehicle throughout the maneuver," Ford explained in a press release.

The new function works with the help of Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS), offered as standard on all 2010 Ford models powered by the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. However, Active Park Assist only comes as optional on the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 equipped Lincoln MKT which is due to arrive in dealerships this summer.