Lexus will release its first autonomous vehicle this year, but drivers will still have to pay attention when the system is active — from Automotive News:
The new model will be “hands off but not eyes off,” Lexus President Koji Sato told Automotive News Europe on the sidelines of a Toyota press event here. “It will start from Level 2 but it will have over-the-air updates so that for the future we can update the level,” Sato said.
It’s still a mystery which model will introduce the new technology, but an earlier report suggests it will be a new version of the LS sedan. The system is specifically made for the highway, where autonomous driving, passing, and lane changes will all be possible.
This tech will eventually be offered on more vehicles in the Lexus lineup:
Lexus’s aim is roll out the technology to all models. “All out vehicles need to offer safe, confident drive,” [Sato] said. “Our aim is to share and roll out this technology to other vehicles.”