Lexus Aims to up the Ante with Integrated Active Safety Package

It remains to be seen whether Lexus will charge a premium or not for its integrated active safety system, with rollout scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017. That would mean the 2018 model year for some vehicles, so there is a plenty of time for consumers to decide whether it is worth an upcharge or not. For the typical Lexus buyer, the answer is probably yes–as long as the system isn’t too complicated.

With a stated aim of “eliminating traffic fatalities and injuries”, the program packages several safety systems already available in most Lexus vehicles with several new features in a Safety System + configuration.

The pre-collision system, lane departure warning and automatic high beam lights are currently offered, and were relatively unique when the were introduced. As other manufacturers added these features, Lexus is finding ways to differentiate themselves in the very busy luxury market.

The new addition to the safety system is radar cruise control which uses millimeter-wave radar to detect preceding vehicles and determine their speed. The vehicle then adjusts its speed within a set range to assure that there is a safe distance between vehicles. In some form, this is already offered by some manufacturers.

Lexus always ranks among the safer vehicle brands on the market and The Safety System + should be a good addition that doesn’t require and either-or-menu that requires major decision making. For a look at some of the other innovative safety features Lexus is developing, watch the video below to see a test of the Pedestrian Pre-Collision System.