Parking can be a stressful task, especially when you're at risk of scraping a wheel or another vehicle, meaning that getting behind the wheel of a car that can park itself is a huge convenience and can even prove a wise investment.
Whether you're looking to protect your pride and joy from a friend, family member or your tired self, there are options at both the premium and more affordable end of the market that can park themselves.
Let's take a quick look at how the tech works and then map out ten of the best cars with parking assist currently on sale in Australia in 2025.
How Does Parking Assist Work?
A vehicle's parking assist system combines data taken from onboard cameras and ultrasonic sensors that map out your surroundings.
These inputs, mapped out by the vehicle's variety of sensors and cameras, identify both the size of the vacant car space as well as obstacles like kerbs, other vehicles and other potential hazards.
The data is crunched by the vehicle's onboard computer, which then takes command of the throttle, steering and brake inputs as you magically glide into a parallel or perpendicular car space.
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Request a quoteHyundai Kona
Hyundai’s best-seller, the Kona, has seen its user-friendliness around town bolstered by the inclusion of the company's remote smart parking assist II system.
This means it can squeeze into a tight car park without you needing to sit inside the cabin and can even take care of reverse parallel parking, if needed.
Other Hyundai models with Parking Assist: Tucson, Santa Fe, IONIQ 5, Palisade, IONIQ 9
Volkswagen Tiguan
VW's latest-generation Tiguan hits the road with a styling refresh and more equipment, including a clever parking assist feature, bundled into every member of the range, including the entry-level 110 TSI Life.
VW's system is called Park Assist Plus, which offers semi-autonomous steering, throttle and brake inputs and can tell you if a vacant spot is big enough for you to squeeze into at speeds up to 40km/h.
Other VW models with Parking Assist: Amarok, Tayron, Golf, ID.4, Polo, T-Cross, T-Roc, Touareg, ID.5, Caddy, Multivan, ID.Buzz
Kia Sportage
Kia's latest Sportage range picks up an updated remote smart parking assist II system, giving it a sharper set of abilities over the first generation, which was relegated to remotely parking in relatively straight line via the key fob.
Kia's latest parking assist system is happy to take control of steering inputs, allowing it to tackle parallel, diagonal and perpendicular parks, bringing it in line with some of the best on the market.
Other Kia models with Parking Assist: Carnival, Sorento, EV3, EV5, EV6, EV9
Toyota Corolla Cross
Toyota offers a self-parking system with the Corolla Cross, though you'll need to upgrade to the range-topping Atmos to get your hands on the clever tech.
Toyota’s Advanced Park Assist makes light work of a reverse or parallel park when you pull up, ideally within one meter from other vehicles. Hit the button and Toyota’s system scans your options and asks you to confirm which park you'd like to squeeze into via the infotainment display.
Other Toyota Models with Parking Assist: C-HR, bZ4x
GWM Haval H6
There's an updated Haval H6 in town, showcasing a new styling package and a beefed-up equipment list that features a semi-autonomous parking assist in H6 Ultra variants.
GWM’s parking assist system springs into life when you're in the surround-view monitor and tap the shortcut on the left-hand of the display and then turn the drive dial, which prompts the system to look for a vacant spot and takes care of vehicle controls from there, but requires you to shift between drive and reverse gears.
Other GWM vehicles with Parking Assist: Tank 300, Tank 500, Cannon Alpha, Ora
Audi Q5
Audi takes a very generous approach to rolling out smart parking features across the range, with all members of its MY25 fleet, from the pint-sized A1 through to the Q8 and its new-era e-tron lineup, all picking up the tech as standard.
Other Audi Models with Parking Assist: All MY25 Audi models and variants
Nissan Qashqai
Nissan's latest-generation Qashqai is one of the most practical small SUVs in the segment, with the premium version picking up a clever parking assist system to help out in tight quarters.
With the help of its onboard sensors and surround-view monitor, the Qashqai range-topping Ti-L's intelligent park assist allows you to choose a vacant car space via the infotainment system and takes control from there.
Skoda Kodiaq
Skoda's biggest SUV in the range, the three-row, seven-seat Kodiaq has a pretty large footprint, meaning the addition of an automatic parking assist system is a very welcome addition to the spec sheet.
However, you'll need to dig deeper into your pockets and upgrade to the most premium version of the Kodiaq to get your hands on the semi-autonomous parking assist.
Other Skoda Models with Parking Assist: Enyaq, Superb, Octavia RS
BMW X3
BMW has bundled parking assist into all models in the lineup, including base models, which is a particularly nice touch for those looking to step into an entry-level X3 that can park itself.
Some of BMW’s latest vehicles also allow you to park remotely via the company’s smartphone application, with the company's self-parking tech remaining some of the best on the market.
Other BMW models with Park Assist: all MY25 models and variants
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Request a quoteIs Park Assist Work it?
Whether or not intelligent parking assistance is worth it depends on a few things, namely your confidence behind the wheel while parking, and just how often you plan on using the system.
If, for example, you're going to use it multiple times a day, parking assistance can save you some time and stress while parking in tight spots, making it a worthwhile investment.
Does Park Assist Work at Night?
While Parking assistance systems use some data from onboard cameras, they rely far more on the data provided by the ultrasonic sensors that can accurately measure just how close your vehicle is to another.
Ultrasonic sensors use sound waves to measure distance, emitting a frequency that bounces off a nearby object, which is converted from a time interval into an accurate measurement of distance.
As a result, parking assist systems have no problem working at night time or in zero visibility situations, due to their use of ultrasonic sensors, rather than visual instructions from the rear-view camera.
Bad weather, including heavy rainfall, snow or even fog can interfere with ultrasonic sensors, which is something to keep in mind.
Can Park Assist be Added to a Car?
While you can add a rear-view camera and even parking sensors to your vehicle after your initial purchase, it’s not possible to add a parking assistant after your purchase unless it's an OEM addition directly from the manufacturer.
Considering the fact that the sensors must communicate with the onboard computer, which in turn controls the throttle, brakes and steering, this isn't a DIY task.
It is possible to add parking assist to your car if the manufacturer supports it, though. For example, some entry-level models might miss out on the system, while mid-spec and flagship variants come packaged with park assist as standard.
In limited cases like these, you may be able to contact the manufacturer and request park assist be added to your vehicle after the initial purchase, but this is up to the manufacturer, and isn't possible in all cases.
