Image: Nissan
Nissan has taken the wraps off its next-generation ProPILOT driver-assist technology, with ambitions to rival Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. Demonstrated on prototype Ariya vehicles in downtown Tokyo this month, the new ProPILOT leverages 11 cameras, five radar sensors, and a next-generation LiDAR unit to navigate complex city streets.
At the heart of the system is “Wayve AI Driver” software, developed by UK-based autonomous driving company Wayve. Nissan says this embodied AI can process visual data from multiple cameras to anticipate how traffic situations will evolve, enabling the car to make decisions like a skilled human driver. Coupled with Nissan’s own “Ground Truth Perception” suite powered by LiDAR, the system promises safer driving at high speeds and in low-light conditions.
“We think ours is smarter than Tesla FSD, just not as polished as a product,” Nissan said during the unveiling. The automaker is targeting a Japan launch on select production models in fiscal year 2027 (by March 2028).
Image: Nissan
Nissan’s move comes as Tesla’s camera-only FSD (Supervised) continues to gain ground. Back in July, FSD soundly outperformed Chinese advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in new crash avoidance tests. Tesla is also gearing up to release FSD V14, which CEO Elon Musk has called the second biggest update to the system after V12. Must recently suggested that FSD 14 could be 2–3x safer and better at driving than humans.
Nissan’s existing ProPILOT technology has already evolved from single-lane highway assistance to multi-lane support with ProPILOT 2.0. This next leap aims to bring AI-powered driving to dense urban areas, with Nissan CTO Eiichi Akashi saying it will feel like “a skilled human driver is behind the wheel.”
“It will adapt to more complex traffic conditions and truly provide greater confidence and peace of mind — enhancing safety not only for the driver, but for everyone using the road.”
With ProPILOT’s relaunch, Nissan hopes to reestablish itself as a technological leader in a space increasingly defined by Tesla. Whether Nissan can meet its lofty promises remains to be seen, especially as Tesla accelerates its FSD rollout worldwide.
