A safety regulation mandate from the EU demands all car manufacturers fit speed limiters to new cars from this week - and the same technology will also be installed in almost all new models sold in Britain, we can exclusively reveal.
Despite the UK Government's refusal to implement the same mandate, the most popular vehicle brands tell us they either already equip their latest models with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), will do so from 7 July or plan to in the very near future.
Introduced in a bid to cut road deaths on Europe's roads, the automatic speed limiter system uses a suite of tech in modern vehicles to determine the speed limit a car is travelling in.
If the driver is exceeding it, ISA will warn them to slow down and can even cut engine power.
We contacted the 32 top-selling brands in the UK in 2024 (which represent 98.9 per cent of the new car market) to find out if their UK models will be equipped with Intelligent Speed Assistance - and what is the protocol to turn it off before each journey.
*Find the responses from all 32 mainstream brands in our interactive tool below or scroll down the page to find the A-Z list of manufacturers
What is Intelligent Speed Assistance?
Intelligent Speed Assistance uses a combination of GPS data, satellite navigation, speed-sign recognition cameras and forward-facing cameras to identify what the speed limit is at any given time and determine if the vehicle is exceeding it.
If the car is travelling over the limit, motorists will initially receive a number of warnings ushering them to slow down.
These can be visual alerts on the instrument cluster or screen, a short audible warning, or a gentle vibration of the steering wheel when the limit is being exceeded. Manufacturers can use a combination of these - or all three.
If the alerts are repeatedly ignored by the driver, the system can intervene by restricting engine power to automatically bring the speed down to the legal limit.
At no time does ISA apply the brakes, achieving a reduction in speed only by curtailing the power from the engine.
ISA can be overridden for a short burst of acceleration above the legal speed limit, for instance when a driver needs to overtake a slow-moving vehicle.
To do so, the driver needs to push hard on the accelerator pedal to temporarily disengage the system. The ISA will allow the car to go above the permitted limit for a short amount of time before the alerts reengage.
Can Intelligent Speed Assistance be turned off?
Under the EU's 'GSR2' or 'Regulation (EU) 2019/2144', ISA can be turned off. But not permanently.
The system must automatically activate each time the engine is started, meaning motorists will need to switch it off before setting off on every journey.
How difficult it is to deactivate the system is determined by each car brand. Mainstream manufacturers have explained below how to turn it off in their vehicles.
Do new cars sold in the UK also need to have Intelligent Speed Assistance by law?
ISA has been mandatory on all new cars introduced to European - and Northern Ireland - showrooms since 6 July 2022. This is only models that are brand new to the market.
However, the EU's mandate dictates that from 7 July 2024 it will need to be retrofitted to all new vehicle sold in dealerships across the continent.
This means manufacturers will need to install the tech on some long-in-the-tooth models. For instance, Volkswagen will need to retrofit ISA into the existing Touran, which has been on sale since 2015.
But the same rules do not apply in Britain.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport told This is Money it is currently not introducing the same regulation this month: 'The Intelligent Speed Assistance laws coming into effect in July apply to the EU and Northern Ireland only, not Great Britain.'
This could all change, however, with a new Labour Government and transport ministers making such decision.
Experts have already warned UK drivers that they are unlikely to escape the technology because Britain is no longer part of the European Union.
Thatcham Research, the automotive risk intelligence company, explains: 'Many vehicles sold in the UK will use EU specification software as manufacturers try to avoid the additional complexity of creating UK-specific variants, which increases the cost of bringing a vehicle to market.'
The AA, told us: 'Even though ISA isn’t mandatory in the UK, many new cars will be sold with this technology', while the RAC said it would 'be surprised if manufacturers deliberately excluded the feature from those they sell in the UK as it would add unnecessary cost to production'.
And our exclusive report reveals these experts were accurate in their assumptions...
A-Z: Which car brands will have ISA in new UK cars?
We contacted the UK's 32 biggest selling car brands - which represent 98.9 per cent of the new car market this year - asking if they are set to equip new UK models with ISA this month.
And we've also asked them to explain how to turn off the system in their vehicles.
Here's what the most popular brands of 2024 told us...
AUDI
Number of new cars sold in 2024: 65,317 (6.49% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Audi is part of the Volkswagen Group. A spokesperson told us that some models across its different brands – which also includes VW, Skoda, Seat and Cupra - already have ISA, while others will 'begin to adopt ISA as standard' shortly. The tech will be 'phased-in in-line with model updates, as soon as our factories implement the changes,' they said.
How to turn off ISA: The feature can be turned off but the process 'varies by model'. Volkswagen Group says in most instances the user will need to deactivate it via the central infotainment menu each time they start the car.
BMW
Number of cars sold in 2024: 69,827 (6.94% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? A BMW spokesperson told us that the German manufacturer has been rolling out ISA across the BMW vehicle range 'for some time'. However, as of July 2024, it will be fitted to all models sold in the UK and across Europe.
How to turn off ISA: Drivers can press and hold the 'SET' button on their vehicle's steering wheel for approximately two seconds to disable ISA, where fitted, in all current BMW models on sale today. The functionality can also be managed in the settings menu on the vehicle's central information display.
BYD
Number of cars sold in 2024: 2,904 (0.29% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? A spokesperson for the Chinese EV maker told us: 'Every BYD model comes with ISA as standard, which includes an audible speed limit warning and a dashboard reminder.'
How to turn off ISA: ISA can be deactivated via the settings menu within the vehicle’s infotainment system on all models currently sold in the UK.
CITROEN
Number of cars sold in 2024: 15,817 (1.57% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Citroen is part of the Stellantis Group. A spokesperson representing the car manufacturer said all of its brands 'do not have UK specific vehicles', meaning the models sold here are equipped with the same technology as those in the EU. As a result, every new vehicle arriving from 7 July will have ISA equipped.
How to turn off ISA: Given Stellantis represents a large number of brands – also including Vauxhall, Peugeot, Fiat, Jeep and others such as Alfa Romeo and Maserati – the protocol for turning off the speed limiter tech might differ. Yet the spokesperson assures us that every vehicle will have the capability to deactivate ISA 'using either the infotainment system or buttons on the dashboard depending on the model'.
CUPRA
Number of cars sold in 2024: 13,917 (1.38% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Cupra is part of the Volkswagen Group. A spokesperson told us that some models across its different brands – which also includes VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat - already have ISA, while others will 'begin to adopt ISA as standard' shortly. The tech will be 'phased-in in-line with model updates, as soon as our factories implement the changes,' they said.
How to turn off ISA: The feature can be turned off but the process 'varies by model'. Volkswagen Group says in most instances the user will need to deactivate it via the central infotainment menu each time they start the car.
DACIA
Number of cars sold in 2024: 16,162 (1.61% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from July 2024? A Dacia UK spokesperson told us that ISA is now standard on Sandero, Sandero Stepway and Jogger. It will also be installed in the new Dacia Spring EV and 2024 Duster SUV, which both arrive later in the year.
How to turn off ISA: Like parent company Renault, ISA can be deactivated in Dacias using a 'My Safety' button, as long as the owner adjusts the settings to turn ISA off each time they press it. They will need to press the My Safety button at the start of each journey.
FORD
Number of cars sold in 2024: 56,735 (5.64% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? A Ford spokesperson has confirmed that all new cars will have the speed limiting tech installed from this month.
How to turn off ISA: Ford buyers will need to deactivate ISA by pressing the 'LIM' (limiter) button on the steering wheel for three seconds. This needs to be repeated at every start of the vehicle as ISA will be active as part of the default setting.
FIAT
Number of cars sold in 2024: 8,062 (0.80% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Fiat is part of the Stellantis Group. A spokesperson representing the car manufacturer said all of its brands 'do not have UK specific vehicles', meaning the models sold here are equipped with the same technology as those in the EU. As a result, every new vehicle arriving from 7 July will have ISA equipped.
How to turn off ISA: A Fiat spokesperson told us that the systems can be turned off via the infotainment system or via the cluster menu - the display behind steering wheel.
HONDA
Number of cars sold in 2024: 17,774 (1.77% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from July 2024? A brand spokesperson confirmed that all current new Honda cars sold in the UK already come equipped with ISA.
How to turn off ISA: There is no dedicated button to deactivate ISA in new Hondas, though drivers can turn it off via the infotainment system. 'It will default to 'On' each time the engine is started,' the spokesperson clarified.
HYUNDAI
Number of cars sold in 2024: 46,404 (4.61% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? New Hyundai's sold in the UK are already equipped with ISA. A spokesperson for the Korean brand told us: 'All Hyundai models have been fitted with ISA - or as we call it, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA) or Intelligent Speed Limit Warning (ISLW) - since the end of last year.'
How to turn off ISA: Hyundai's latest cars are fitted with a 'favourite' button on the steering wheel which the customer can program to default to a number of screen options. They will need to use this button to select the 'ISLA/ISLW deactivation mode'.
JAGUAR
Number of cars sold in 2024: 10,626 (1.06% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Jaguar parent company JLR said it will be installing ISA in all new vehicles from 7 July 2024. 'Although it is not required in Great Britain, JLR has taken the decision to fit it to all new cars sold in the UK to ensure consistency,' a spokesperson for the brand said.
How to turn off ISA: JLR told us that ISA can be 'deactivated quickly and easily' in all its new cars using a dedicated button on the steering wheel, which toggles through three levels of functionality. 'By default, ISA in JLR models only indicates the speed limit and provides a warning if it is being exceeded. It does not actively reduce the vehicle's speed by default, the driver must choose to link ISA to the speed limiter if they wish to have this functionality,' the spokesperson clarified.
JEEP
Number of cars sold in 2024: 3,756 (0.37% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Jeep is part of the Stellantis Group. A spokesperson representing the car manufacturer said all of its brands 'do not have UK specific vehicles', meaning the models sold here are equipped with the same technology as those in the EU. As a result, every new vehicle arriving from 7 July will have ISA equipped.
How to turn off ISA: Given Stellantis represents a large number of brands – also including Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat and others such as Alfa Romeo and Maserati – the protocol for turning off the speed limiter tech might differ. Yet the spokesperson assures us that every vehicle will have the capability to deactivate ISA 'using either the infotainment system or buttons on the dashboard depending on the model'.
KIA
Number of cars sold in 2024: 60,366 (6.00% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Kia confirmed that it will be introducing ISA to UK cars 'from the model year 2025'.
How to turn off ISA: A Kia spokesperson told us that models will allow ISA to be turned off, or muted, via the infotainment screen in the 'Driver Assistance Settings'.
LAND ROVER
Number of cars sold in 2024: 32,846 (3.26% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Land Rover parent company JLR said it will be installing ISA in all new vehicles from 7 July 2024. 'Although it is not required in Great Britain, JLR has taken the decision to fit it to all new cars sold in the UK to ensure consistency,' a spokesperson for the brand said.
How to turn off ISA: JLR told us that ISA can be 'deactivated quickly and easily' in all its new cars using a dedicated button on the steering wheel, which toggles through three levels of functionality. 'By default, ISA in JLR models only indicates the speed limit and provides a warning if it is being exceeded. It does not actively reduce the vehicle's speed by default, the driver must choose to link ISA to the speed limiter if they wish to have this functionality,' the spokesperson clarified.
LEXUS
Number of cars sold in 2024: 8,036 (0.80% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? All UK Lexus cars are built to European specification, a spokesperson explained, meaning they would need to have ISA installed as standard from 7 July 2024. However, the Lexus UK team said all of its existing model range has already been equipped since March 2024.
How to turn off ISA: Deactivation is model dependent, Lexus said. It added that 'owners will need to check individual specification to confirm how to turn ISA off in their cars'.
MAZDA
Number of cars sold in 2024: 14,083 (1.40% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from July 2024? All new Mazda models from 7 July will have ISA 'unless the production cycle falls out of this timing', suggesting some new cars that have been in showrooms for years might not be retrofitted for the UK market.
How to turn off ISA: In the Mazda2 (the sister car to the Toyota Yaris), ISA is turned off in the menu settings. In all other new Mazda models, there is a button on the right hand side of the dashboard called the 'i-ACTIVSENSE mute switch' which silences certain warning sounds from alerting the driver, including ISA. 'A visual warning is still present as the system remains active and are only muted. There is no way to silence this ISA chime in isolation and due to the other safety features muted it is not something we would recommend,' a Mazda spokesperson explained.
MERCEDES-BENZ
Number of cars sold in 2024: 51,732 (5.14% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? A Mercedes-Benz UK spokesperson said 'all models type approved since July 2022' are already fitted with an ISA system. However, they failed to confirm if every new model in showrooms from 7 July will have ISA equipped. Instead, they told us: 'Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd sells and distributes Mercedes-Benz vehicles in all parts of the United Kingdom including Northern Ireland, where the European Union’s GSR2 regulations apply. Our vehicles comply with all regulations applicable in every part of the United Kingdom.'
How to turn off ISA: Mercedes offers the biggest multitude of options to turn off the ISA alerts. Drivers have the choice of pressing and holding the mute button on the steering wheel, a single tap of the speed icon in the status line of the central display (which is visible at all times, unless the system is displaying Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), via the quick-access menu or by using a voice control command.
MG MOTOR
Number of cars sold in 2024: 44,046 (4.38% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? A spokesperson representing the Chinese-owned vehicle maker confirmed its new UK models will have ISA installed from 7 July.
How to turn off ISA: MG says drivers can deactivate ISA before each journey by navigating to a vehicle settings menu in the infotainment system.
MINI
Number of cars sold in 2024: 21,273 (2.11% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Mini UK has confirmed that ISA is already fitted to all new models in showrooms today.
How to turn off ISA: The deactivation process is the same as parent company BMW. This means the driver can press and hold the ‘SET’ button on their vehicle’s steering wheel for approximately two seconds to disable this functionality. Alternatively, they can deactivate it from the settings menu on the vehicle’s central information display.
NISSAN
Number of cars sold in 2024: 54,936 (5.46% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? A Nissan spokesperson confirmed that 'all new model year 2024 production cars' already have ISA fitted, so the 7 July EU regulation should have no impact.
How to turn off ISA: Nissan says: 'Drivers can tailor their preferred options on a menu in the digital 'combimeter' screen. Once these preferences are set, they need to be activated every time the vehicle is started, which can be done via a shortcut button on the steering wheel.'
PEUGEOT
Number of cars sold in 2024: 34,653 (3.44% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Peugeot is part of the Stellantis Group. A spokesperson representing the car manufacturer said all of its brands 'do not have UK specific vehicles', meaning the models sold here are equipped with the same technology as those in the EU. As a result, every new vehicle arriving from 7 July will have ISA equipped.
How to turn off ISA: Given Stellantis represents a large number of brands – also including Vauxhall, Citroen, Fiat, Jeep and others such as Alfa Romeo and Maserati – the protocol for turning off the speed limiter tech might differ. Yet the spokesperson assures us that every vehicle will have the capability to deactivate ISA 'using either the infotainment system or buttons on the dashboard depending on the model'.
POLESTAR
Number of cars sold in 2024: 2,742 (0.27% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from July 2024? A spokesperson for the electric car maker confirmed that all new Polestar models will have ISA equipped from 7 July.
How to turn off ISA: This differs by model. In the popular Polestar 2, the button for accessing the ISA audible warning is on the steering wheel. In the new Polestar 4, the button for accessing the ISA audible warning is on the steering wheel and also in the infotainment centre display. It is also possible to set up a user-defined shortcut in the centre display for this purpose. The just-launched Polestar 3's ISA setting for accessing the audible warning is in the infotainment centre display. There is a pre-defined shortcut for this purpose on the contextual bar of the centre display when the vehicle is in gear.
PORSCHE
Number of cars sold in 2024: 9,062 (0.90% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from July 2024? While Porsche is technically part of Volkswagen Group, the sports car company provided This is Money with a separate response. It said its latest models - including Cayenne, Taycan and Panamera - now have a speed warning system, however it does not include the functionality to limit speed. There was no reference to its sports cars, including the iconic 911.
How to turn off ISA: Porsche owners can turn off the audible and visual alerts either via the touchscreen or a programmable button on the steering wheel, the brand representative told us.
RENAULT
Number of cars sold in 2024: 28,596 (2.84% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? A spokesperson for the French car maker confirmed that ISA is already standard across Renault products in the UK.
How to turn off ISA: Deactivation is via a configurable 'My Safety' button, which is located to the right of the steering wheel. This allows the driver to choose which ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) features suit their requirements, including turning off ISA. When the driver starts the car, they will need to press the button and it will configure to their personalised settings.
SEAT
Number of cars sold in 2024: 21,346 (2.12% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Seat is part of the Volkswagen Group. A spokesperson told us that some models across its different brands – which also includes VW, Audi, Skoda and Cupra - already have ISA, while others will 'begin to adopt ISA as standard' shortly. The tech will be 'phased-in in-line with model updates, as soon as our factories implement the changes,' they said.
How to turn off ISA: The feature can be turned off but the process 'varies by model'. Volkswagen Group says in most instances the user will need to deactivate it via the central infotainment menu each time they start the car.
SKODA
Number of cars sold in 2024: 37,641 (3.74% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Skoda is part of the Volkswagen Group. A spokesperson told us that some models across its different brands – which also includes VW, Audi, Cupra and Seat - already have ISA, while others will 'begin to adopt ISA as standard' shortly. The tech will be 'phased-in in-line with model updates, as soon as our factories implement the changes,' they said.
How to turn off ISA: The feature can be turned off but the process 'varies by model'. Volkswagen Group says in most instances the user will need to deactivate it via the central infotainment menu each time they start the car.
SUZUKI
Number of cars sold in 2024: 13,588 (1.35% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from July 2024? Yes, the new Swift launched in April has ISA and all new models that come after it will too. The Japanese brand recently announced it will cull most other petrol models from its range by 2025, and all replacements will have ISA.
How to turn off ISA: Drivers would need to navigate through the vehicle settings via the instrument cluster.
TESLA
Number of cars sold in 2024: 23,029 (2.29% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Tesla failed to respond to our request for information but its website does confirm that both Model 3 and Model Y have ISA fitted as standard. However, some of the functionality for UK models is currently disabled. We understand that ISA will not produce an alert chime when a driver exceeds a speed limit but a warning sign will flash. We await the US brand's response to understand if the functionality will be enabled for UK-bound new vehicles.
How to turn off ISA: The Tesla website says that 'pressing the speed limit sign on the touchscreen mutes the speeding chime and display for the rest of the drive'. However, it caveats: 'The speeding warnings automatically re-enable at the start of every drive cycle (every time the vehicle is in Park and you walk away).'
TOYOTA
Number of cars sold in 2024: 51,117 (5.08% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? A spokesperson for Toyota has confirmed that UK vehicles are 'built to European specification' and that all models in its existing range have been compliant with the EU's ISA mandate since June 2024, meaning the speed limiters will be standard across all new vehicles.
How to turn off ISA: Deactivation is model dependent, however the majority of the 'core vehicle range' use buttons on the steering wheel to disable ISA.
VAUXHALL
Number of cars sold in 2024: 45,324 (4.50% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Vauxhall is part of the Stellantis Group. A spokesperson representing the car manufacturer said all of its brands 'do not have UK specific vehicles', meaning the models sold here are equipped with the same technology as those in the EU. As a result, every new vehicle arriving from 7 July will have ISA equipped.
How to turn off ISA: Given Stellantis represents a large number of brands – also including Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat, Jeep and others such as Alfa Romeo and Maserati – the protocol for turning off the speed limiter tech might differ. Yet the spokesperson assures us that every vehicle will have the capability to deactivate ISA 'using either the infotainment system or buttons on the dashboard depending on the model'.
VOLKSWAGEN
Number of cars sold in 2024: 83,552 (8.30% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? VW is part of the Volkswagen Group. A spokesperson told us that some models across its different brands – which also includes Audi, Skoda, Cupra and Seat - already have ISA, while others will 'begin to adopt ISA as standard' shortly. The tech will be 'phased-in in-line with model updates, as soon as our factories implement the changes,' they said.
How to turn off ISA: The feature can be turned off but the process 'varies by model'. Volkswagen Group says in most instances the user will need to deactivate it via the central infotainment menu each time they start the car.
VOLVO
Number of cars sold in 2024: 30,422 (3.02% of the market)
Will UK cars have ISA from 7 July 2024? Yes. In fact, all new UK Volvo models have been fitted with ISA since 2023.
How to turn off ISA: A Volvo spokesperson told This is Money: 'Depending on the car, deactivation is either via a button on the steering wheel or via the central screen. In the EC40 (formerly C40), EX40 (formerly XC40 Recharge), XC40, XC60 and XC90, deactivation is via the steering wheel. In the EX30, it is via the screen.'
*Number of cars sold in 2024 is based on official SMMT data for the months of January-June 2024. We only contacted those with over 2,000 UK car registrations in the first half of this year.
