Lexus and Toyota Roll-Out Low-Cost Automated Braking Safety Packages

Toyota has announced that its Lexus and Toyota models will have available low-cost automated braking safety packages on nearly all models and trim levels by the end of 2017.

The formal announcements will be made later in the week of March 30th at separate press conferences Wednesday and Thursday at the New York Auto Show.

There, Toyota will reveal its first-ever RAV4 Hybrid SUV, while Lexus unveils its all-new fourth-generation RX luxury crossover SUV. Both debuts will mark the arrival of new, multi-feature, integrated safety packages, each anchored by automated pre-collision braking and offered at a price dramatically below comparable systems across the auto industry.

According to Jim Lentz, President and CEO Toyota Motor North America,“Pushing these systems across our lineup, as quickly as possible, can help protect people in the event of a crash. More importantly it will help prevent some crashes from ever happening in the first place.”

Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) and Lexus Safety System+ (LSS+) are designed to support the driver’s awareness, decision making and vehicle operation over a wide range of speeds. Packaged together in an integrated system, their features help address three key areas of accident protection: preventing or mitigating rear collisions, keeping drivers within their lane, and enhancing road safety during night time driving.

The systems are intended to address commonly occurring crash types according to traffic accident statistical analyses. Toyota Safety Sense C for compact cars and TSS P for mid-sized and premium models will be available as an optional accessory from approximately $300 and $500, respectively – what Toyota calls “a price point unheard of for this array of safety technologies.”

Lexus Safety System+ aims to further expand the use of these systems across luxury models, integrating highly-effective active safety features into an optional accessory priced from approximately $500 to $635.

Category: Driver Stuff, General Update, Safety