Why would having different features be a code smell? I would compare it more to purchasing version X or Y of photoshop, or something similar. If you buy and older or cheaper version of the software, you get a different feature set.
I can completely agree the naming and descriptions are horrendous though. I think that as more of these technologies start to provide assistance in more areas of driving, more of the time, education and transparency are nearly as important as safety. And that’s an area where every one of these projects is failing to a greater or lesser degree.
Consider BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross-Traffic Alert.
I imagine there's an engineer that created a function isBlindSpot(state, "right") as opposed to a more comprehensive system of object detection, where it'll be able to tell you if there's a blind spot but also be integral in Intersection Assist (a separate feature in the 2021 Mustang Mach-E).
Of course I could be wrong, and the features could be an interface to a more comprehensive system, but my hunch is that it's more segmented.
I can completely agree the naming and descriptions are horrendous though. I think that as more of these technologies start to provide assistance in more areas of driving, more of the time, education and transparency are nearly as important as safety. And that’s an area where every one of these projects is failing to a greater or lesser degree.