Toyota Introduces New Driver Assistance Suite for Lexus LS And Mirai

Toyota has unveiled a new driver assistance suite called Advanced Drive. It will first be available in Japan on two cars: the Lexus LS and the Toyota Mirai. The tech will also come to other countries later on including the U.S., according to Motor1.

The driving tech system includes a millimeter-wave radar, a stereo camera, a telescopic camera, LiDAR, and high-precision maps that allow "drivers and cars act as partners to protect one another so that drivers can enjoy the experience of driving while deferring to automated driving at times."

As with other driver assistance tech, when a risky situation arises on the road, the system warns the driver. In such a situation, the driver can either accept the suggestion of the system or do what he/she thinks the best.  

During highway driving, the tech allows the car to change lanes and overtake other vehicles. While overtaking, the driver needs to hold the steering wheel and give his consent to Advanced Drive to pass.

While driving on inclines or bumps, the system will notice other cars merging onto the road. If there is traffic, it will slow down the car to allow other motorists onto the highway.

Just like Tesla’s autopilot, the Advanced Drive will employ over-the-air updates to add new functionality to the system. In Japan, the system will even gather driving information through exterior cameras for Toyota to improve the tech.

Toyota didn’t reveal how much the Advanced Drive will cost in America. However, in the Japanese market, it amounts 16,320,000 yen ($149,579 approximately) for the LS 500h (L grade) and 17,940,000 yen ($164,427) for the Executive model. The advanced driver assistance system for the Mirai Z model costs 8,450,000 yen ($77,468) and 8,600,000 yen ($78,843) for the Z Executive trim.

Source: Motor1