Deepal S07 software fix coming to address overzealous safety systems
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Software updates have been announced to address criticism of oversensitive driver attention monitoring technology in one of Australia’s newest Chinese electric cars.
Chinese car brand Deepal claims Australia is the only market to hand down major criticism of safety features in its new S07 SUV, which testing by Drive and other media outlets have found to be overzealous and oversensitive.
A software update for the electric S07’s driver monitoring and adaptive cruise control systems is in its final stages of development in China before local validation is conducted, and if successful, it is rolled out in Australia.
Initial feedback from customers and media has focused on the driver monitoring system, which has been criticised for being too quick to beep at drivers looking away from the road for routine vision or driver information checks – rather than genuine distraction.
MORE: Overzealous lane-keep assist tech under the microscope in new safety tests
The adaptive cruise control (ACC) software has also been criticised for slowing down too aggressively for bends in the road.
Deepal has confirmed it will be “refining the Driver Monitoring System and making adjustments to alert warnings (audible, visual, and physical) to better meet Australian drivers' expectations,” alongside tweaks to the ACC.
It says it does not expect the updates to affect the S07’s five-star ANCAP safety rating, which is based on testing of the car’s driver-assistance systems in controlled conditions – not the real world.
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Deepal Australia managing director Cormac Cafolla announced the changes to local media on a tour of parent company Changan’s facilities in China, where much of the safety systems’ functionality – including their warning tones – were developed.
“We have a team of engineers right now in Australia – as well as the support of the Changan group here [in China] – who are re-engineering elements of the software, taking on board valuable feedback.
“It’s really important that we acknowledge your reviews and we’ve used them and shared them with the whole team as insight into areas of improvement.
“Driver monitoring is probably the one issue that I think we all notice with the vehicle. Some of the engineering software that’s coming changes the triggers – as to what sets it off, how many seconds the eyes are off the road – without compromising what we feel is key for safety.
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“But we also then will look at the tone of the beeps, the number of beeps, as well as some of the systems that are connected, with lane keep assist and other elements to deliver a more suited driving experience.”
Cafolla said the updates are “weeks” away, rather than months or years.
“It’s undergoing final validation and testing at the moment … in China,” the executive for the brand, distributed in Australia by Inchcape, told media.
“The plan is then to deploy it to a select number of VINs [vehicle identification numbers] in the coming weeks, and subject to our feedback and our engineering feedback locally from the Inchcape team, we’ll then decide as to whether or not it needs further adjustment or some tweaking.
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“And then the plan is to do an over-the-air software release. … We’re not talking six to 12 months, we’re talking weeks, subject to how our engineering and local testing goes.”
Executives for Deepal’s parent company Changan claim they have received “no strong [criticism], maybe some little feedback” on the overzealous driver monitor from customers in other markets such as China and Thailand where the S07 has gone on sale.
It is understood the safety features may be opt-in overseas, rather than switched on by default as it is in Australian cars, as part of ANCAP safety criteria.
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“We have a universal database for covering the attention and different facial expressions of the drivers, but at the same time we reserve a part that is to calibrate to the local features [and] distinctions,” a Changan executive told media through a translator.
“For example, maybe some … people, they will have different headdresses or whatever, so [we] make that part to feed to the local demands and situations.”
Cafolla said future models – including the E07 and S05 just confirmed for Australia – will undergo local testing before they reach showrooms, rather than the other way around.
It is in addition to more real-world testing in overseas markets, which Chinese head-office executives promised for future vehicles, in addition to development conducted in virtual conditions.
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“That [updated] system becomes the basis for the E07, the S05, and all future deployments as well. And then we get an opportunity to ramp up local testing as I talked about with future product,” said Cafolla.
“It’s probably worth noting we are, with our engineering on the ground, looking at the adaptive cruise control feedback. So it’s not just driver monitoring, [motoring media review] feedback covered a number of key areas we’re looking at.
“All of that now is under engineering calibration to see what we can deploy via software or what perhaps needs a more manual interface or USB upgrades [installed at a dealer].”
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Alongside the driver monitoring changes, Deepal Australia has confirmed revisions to the adaptive cruise control.
“In collaboration with Changan Automobile, our engineering team will conduct local test drives on Australian roads to refine the Cruise Control system's performance, particularly addressing the speed reduction behaviour when approaching bends,” it said in a media release.
“We will uncouple the speed reduction functions of the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC) systems to allow for smoother, more consistent speed adjustments. Further adjustments to IACC will follow after these tests.
It has also announced general servicing intervals for the S07 will be extended from 12 months/10,000km today – whichever comes first – to 12 months/20,000km, with the initial six-month/5000km dealer visit also to be scrapped.
The prior intervals were some of the shortest of any electric car on sale; most claim 12 months and 15,000km to 20,000km, with Hyundai electric cars calling for maintenance every 24 months/30,000km.
No changes to service prices have been announced.
“This change has been carefully considered following further analysis to ensure vehicle performance and reliability remain at the highest standard,” Deepal Australia said in a media release.
“We've worked closely with Changan Automobile to ensure this extension meets the needs of Australian customers without compromising quality.”
The post Deepal S07 software fix coming to address overzealous safety systems appeared first on Drive.
