Does parking fill you with dread? I tried Kia's new self–parking car which drives in and out of tight spots for you
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While some people pride themselves on their parallel parking prowess, for others, just the thought of squeezing into a narrow spot is enough to fill them with dread.
Now, Kia's auto–parking car claims to make those worries a thing of the past.
The soon–to–be–launched Kia EV2 includes a feature called 'Remote Smart Parking Assist', which supposedly helps drivers get in and out of tight spots.
But is this really the future of parking, or is it just another high–tech gimmick?
Unlike some self–parking features that bring your car into the bay automatically, Kia's new parking feature works a bit differently.
Using a simple button on the key, you can turn the EV2 on and move in and out of the bay like the world's most expensive remote–controlled car.
To see how good it is, I made my way to a multistorey car park in Southampton to put the Kia EV2 and its new smart parking features to the test.
While I initially wasn't sold on this glitzy new feature, after trying it out for myself, I now think this could be a game–changer for city parking.
To see how good it is, I made my way to a multistorey car park in Southampton to put the Kia EV2 and its new smart parking features to the test
Using a simple button on the key, you can turn the EV2 on and move in and out of the bay like the world's most expensive remote–controlled car
The EV2 is Kia's latest EV offering, due to launch in the UK within the next few months for under £30,000, with a more expensive, larger battery version coming later this year.
With a compact length of just 4.06 metres and a bristling array of sensors, cameras, and guidance features, it doesn't seem like parking the EV2 would be a problem.
Indeed, as I slowly and clumsily drove around the car park under the watchful eye of Kia Parking Expert, Francesca Reid, that seemed to be the case.
According to the Korean car manufacturer's 'Parking Index', the port city of Southampton has the worst city parking anywhere in the UK.
This index takes into account how drivers rank their own parking, the overall standard in their local area, the availability of spaces, bay sizes, average time spent looking for a space and whether people have dinged their cars while trying to park.
Yet, despite Southampton landing solidly at the bottom of the list, I was having no trouble swinging in and out of the bays.
But that doesn't mean the Remote Smart Parking Assist is redundant; in fact, it solves a very real problem.
The standard parking bay size in the UK hasn't been reviewed for the last 50 years, with the last update coming in 1976.
The standard parking bay size in the UK hasn't been reviewed for the last 50 years , with the last update coming in 1976
Almost everyone knows the frustration of coming out of the shops with bags of groceries, only to find that you've been pinned in by massive 4x4s on either side
Since then, the average family car has ballooned in size, with new cars getting bigger and bigger every year.
Even relatively small models have grown, with the Mini Cooper expanding from 141 cm wide in 1959 to 197 cm wide with the 2025 Mini Hatch (3dr).
A recent study found that new cars have grown one centimetre wider every two years on average since 2020, while parking bays have remained exactly the same size.
Almost everyone knows the frustration of coming out of the shops with bags of groceries, only to find that you've been pinned in by massive 4x4s on either side.
And when you do manage to slip into a tiny parking space, the shimmying squeeze to escape your pinned door isn't just inelegant, it's a nightmare for pregnant women, people with disabilities, or the elderly.
According to Kia's survey, 56 per cent of drivers have found themselves blocked in so badly that they've resorted to climbing over seats or waiting for other cars to move to get out.
To simulate this supermarket car park disaster, the KIA team wedged the EV2 into such a tight spot that it had the proximity sensors screaming on every side.
I could barely squeeze myself in between the cars, let alone force myself into the driver's seat, unless I wanted to resort to diving through the window.
But with the Remote Smart Parking Assist, no such acrobatics would be necessary.
Standing by the rear of the car, you simply lock the car, press down the 'hold' button to get the system ready and then click 'back'.
As if being carefully reversed out by a ghostly valet, the EV2 slowly makes its way out of the bay, freeing the door and allowing me to enter with ease.
Alternatively, if you have parked in a bay but find yourself unable to escape the narrow space, all you need to do is reverse, step out, and use the key to send the car back into the bay.
The movement isn't exactly speedy, which is probably for the best, but it is remarkably easy to control, allowing for small adjustments forward and backwards.
Thankfully, the movement is also partially controlled by the onboard sensors, which means you can't accidentally slam your car into a wall.
Likewise, despite my best attempts to jump in front of the EV2 as it was moving and run myself over, the car always slammed on the brakes in time to keep me safe.
Although it doesn't completely remove the human element from parking, Kia Parking Expert, Francesca Reid, says this might be a good thing.
'Sometimes I do think that people become a bit reliant on technology,' Ms Reid says.
'So I do always encourage people to use a mixture of their own judgement, as well as keeping an eye around the vehicle, because it pays to be cognisant of your surroundings.'
Likewise, while it doesn't necessarily revolutionise the parking experience, I can really see how useful this could be.
One person who is a fan of Kia's new technology is comedian and Task Master contestant Maisie Adams.
'I drive a lot for work, and I've turned up for gigs knowing I've got to be on stage in nine minutes and you're trying desperately to park, and do it in a way that's not going to get a passive–aggressive note on your windscreen,' Ms Adams told me after she had tested the car.
'It is a difficult thing to be inside a moving vehicle, looking backwards, and making sure you're not hitting other people's expensive vehicles, so if you can remove yourself from the vehicle and still be in charge, to me that just makes sense.
'I think a lot of people will look at this and laugh, but it can make it easier for a parent that's got a buggy, two kids, and three bags of shopping to deal with or an elderly person who isn't as nimble as they once were.'
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