Volkswagen rolls out upgraded driver-assist features across 2027 US models

Volkswagen is widening the driver-assistance content of its 2027 model-year lineup. The upgrades reach the Tiguan, the Golf family, the Atlas family and the ID. Buzz, spanning the MQB Evo and the MEB platforms. Three existing systems are being reworked: Travel Assist lane changing, Emergency Assist Plus and Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control. The ID. Buzz also adds cloud-based road data tied to a paid subscription. A previous Volkswagen announcement previewed the all-new 2027 Atlas.

Emergency Assist Plus builds on the existing Emergency Assist by guiding the vehicle toward the shoulder when it senses a medical emergency. It only works if Lane Assist or Travel Assist is switched on. With Lane Assist, the trigger is a run of lane-departure events in quick succession that the driver does not correct. With Travel Assist, it engages when the driver provides no steering-wheel input.

Travel Assist's assisted lane changing lets the driver start a maneuver with the turn signal, provided the feature is active and road speed is above 45 mph. A partial push on the stalk makes the left or right indicator blink three times on the Digital Cockpit display. Rear radar sensors check for traffic in the adjacent lane, and the car completes the lane change in either direction once it judges the move safe.

The 2027 revisions to Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control aim for smoother, more confident ACC driving. The system can now pick up a higher speed limit earlier, letting the driver confirm the change with a tap of the accelerator rather than waiting on traffic-sign recognition. ACC also extends to ramps, handling exit deceleration and guidance through navigation or the turn signal. Before any automatic speed change, a prompt appears in the Digital Cockpit so the driver can accept or reject it; tapping the accelerator accepts, while pressing the steering-wheel control marked Res rejects it.

On selected versions of Volkswagen's Atlas, electric ID. Buzz and Tiguan for model year 2027, the new rear camera is standard. It can spot pedestrians behind the car, and if one is detected while reversing between 1 and 6 mph the system applies the brakes automatically to help avoid a collision. For Volkswagen's 2027 electric van, REM data will be available through the paid In-Vehicle Premium plan. That data is cloud-based, collected from real-world road users, and captures camera images of lane markings, signs and street lighting to sharpen map quality, which in turn supports the vehicle's ADAS.