BERLIN, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- German car parts maker ZF launched its coASSIST Level2+ semi-automated driving system on a compact sedan by Chinese carmaker Dongfeng Motor Corporation, ZF said on Tuesday.

The coASSIST system launched on the 2020 Dongfeng Aeolus Yixuan included functions such as adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane change assist and lane keeping assist, using camera technology by Mobileye and short-range radars by Hella, ZF noted.

"The launch of coASSIST with Dongfeng Motor marks an important milestone in bringing the advantages of Level2+ systems to affordable passenger vehicles," said Christophe Marnat, executive vice president for the ZF Electronics and Advanced Driver Assist Systems division.

"Comparable systems on the market which offer similar functionality are usually significantly more expensive," a ZF spokesperson told Xinhua.

On Feb. 10, the German government published a new draft law to create a legal framework for the use of autonomous motor vehicles on public roads. This regulation would apply to certain areas, which are still being determined by Germany's federal states.

According to a recent study by the Prognos research institute on autonomous driving for the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC), fully autonomous vehicles would not appear on German roads on a large scale until 2040 at the earliest. This is mainly due to the fact that cars are in use for up to 20 years on average, which means that new technologies are slow to establish themselves.

Unlike fully autonomous vehicles, semi-automated vehicles are already a part of everyday life, making standards essential for safe traffic. ZF noted that meeting the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) 2025 standard, the coASSIST system offers drivers "significant comfort and safety benefits."

The full automated driving system, which also includes functions like feet-free and hands-free driving, is the "most comprehensive in the industry," Marnat said, adding that "ZF higher level autonomous driving functions will be provided and applied to the Dongfeng Aeolus Yixuan MAX in the following one to three years."