The Mk8.5 Volkswagen Golf line-up still goes without traffic sign recognition tech mandated in Europe because the technology has been rushed and doesn't work properly, Drive understands.
Volkswagen has not rolled out speed-limiting traffic sign recognition technology in one of its most popular models because it considers equivalent features from other brands has been “rushed to market” and has “errors”, even though VW's technology is included in European versions.
The German car maker confirmed it does not offer the tech for any variants of its updated Golf hatch locally, even though Golfs sold in Europe do have it because it is now a legal requirement.
Volkswagen has, however, begun rolling out traffic sign recognition across its Australian model range when new-generation vehicles are launched, with the new Tiguan mid-sized SUV getting it, as well as the latest Touareg large SUV and Amarok dual-cab ute.
“We don’t have it for our market. We are starting to roll it out,” a spokesperson for the brand told Drive at the launch of the Mk8.5 Golf R in Sydney this week.
“What we would say is that from an Australian perspective, we acknowledge a lot of companies are rolling out that technology.
“A lot of the media feedback we are getting is that it is being somehow rushed to market, and [there are] some errors. We put together a very detailed program here to test our signs and so on, and we're now rolling that out – Tiguan and Touareg now have it, Amarok has it, and so on and so forth.
“We'll progressively roll it out, but not for Golf at this stage.”
The company has not confirmed why the Golf doesn’t get it, however, the change is likely being implemented with the launch of an all-new model, rather than the mid-life update Mk8.5 represents.
It’s also unclear how the function is removed for our market. Drive has asked Volkswagen for clarification and will update this article if a response is received.
Recent changes to legislation now require all new cars sold in Europe to have speed-limiting devices fitted as of July 2024, as previously reported by Drive.
The technology is designed to either warn drivers when they're driving over the posted limit or actively prevent the vehicle from speeding.
It does so by creating a gentle pushback on the throttle, an autonomous reduction in engine power, haptic throttle pedal vibrations combined with visual alerts (which escalate if ignored), or flashing visual cues followed by audible alerts.
However, EU law also recommends that drivers should be able to switch it off "when a driver experiences false warnings or inappropriate feedback as a result of inclement weather conditions, temporarily conflicting road markings in construction zones, or misleading, defective or missing road signs."
The technology has been widely criticised for distracting and annoying drivers.
In fact, the head of the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), previously told Drive it’s a “growing problem” and one that needs to be dealt with before autonomous vehicles become mainstream.
Specifically, ANCAP is concerned that differences in the types of road signs used between states and territories in Australia are making the in-car recognition technology “unreliable”.
ANCAP started testing traffic sign recognition technology in 2018, and car makers now need to make sure their vehicles have it to get a five-star safety rating.
The Golf was given a five-star rating in 2022 based on the old criteria, but in the same fashion as the Tavascan, it would not get five stars if the update was retested today.
A born-and-bred newshound, Kathryn has worked her way up through the ranks reporting for, and later editing, two renowned UK regional newspapers and websites, before moving on to join the digital newsdesk of one of the world’s most popular newspapers – The Sun. More recently, she’s done a short stint in PR in the not-for-profit sector, and led the news team at Wheels Media.
