Gen IV Advanced Technology Package Speculation

Funny. Low speed DRCC has been available since 2004 and full speed DRCC since 2006. The 2006 LS460 brought these features to North America with:

A-PCS, Advanced PCS. This PCS uses both millimetre-wave radar and stereo cameras to detect objects that are on your path to collision. Aside from the usual visual and audible alerts that we have in the Prius, the "A" part of PCS does several things: It'll close the windows and moonroof, adjust the front seats to ensure you're upright, quicken the steering ratio so that you can turn more easily to avoid the obstacle (the car is equipped with VGRS), prime the brake pads by bringing them closer to the discs and stiffen the front suspension (The car is equipped with AVS) so that the car will respond better to your steering inputs.

A-PCS also includes a rear-bumper mounted millimetre-wave radar to detect potential rear-end collisions. If such a scenario is imminent, the car will bring the front seat headrests towards the driver and front passenger's head to minimise whiplash injury.

Lastly, A-PCS includes a Driver Attention Monitor which scans your face as you drive. If it detects an approaching obstacle ahead (like you're coming up behind a car rapidly) and it sees that you're not looking straight, it'll alert you to look ahead.

All of these were available 4 years before our Prius. While we never got the 1st gen IPA that was launched with the 2004 Prius, the 2006 LS460 introduced APGS with Pre-Support function that made it quicker to park the car by guiding you to the spot needed before shifting the car into reverse. (This is the system we have in the 2010-2011 Prius and 2012-2014 Prius v).

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION GLOBAL WEBSITE | 75 Years of TOYOTA | Technical Development | Electronics Parts

Granted, there are some errors on that site (like Adaptive Variable Suspension, AVS, developed in 2005 on the GS430 when the 1997-2001 ES300 had AVS as an option).

They're not too far behind Mercedes-Benz who typically leads the development of luxury and safety features and certainly one of the first non-luxury brands to offer these systems.

Let me know when you find a brand that offers "advanced" radar cruise and lane keep (Like you said, the Prius offered it in 2009 and nobody in its class or the class above [Maxima, Avalon, Impala] offered anything remotely close to it. It wasn't until the Ford Fusion was redesigned and offered it, then Mazda but they're only passive systems, not active and finally the Accord in 2013). You had to move up to an IS or ES to get DRCC/PCS as a stand-alone option and usually special order. (US$2,850 on the IS). The Prius is nearly 6 years old and the competition caught up, that's what happens. Like the Corolla getting standard LED low beams and the Prius c getting standard LED low/high beams, first for their respective classes. Volvo had BLIS for more than 10 years now. In the last year or two, everyone started offering BSM/RCTA as a combo safety feature, gee I wonder if it's the same supplier that's selling the same system to everybody. It's definitely cheaper to produce and implement than Volvo's BLIS that relied on mirror-mounted cameras.

Starting this year, Lexus will start selling PCS w/ pedestrian detection (*new*), DRCC, Automatic Highbeam and Lane Departure Alert (may or may not be bundled with LKA, depending on vehicle). No idea if it'll be standard equipment or optional (but some of these are already optional but of course are not next-gen..

Lexus to Roll Out Brand New Active Safety Package from 2015 | Lexus


The next gen PCS? front-side collision detection. We probably won't see it in the U.S. until the next LS is launched and then a couple of years after that before it filters down to other Toyota and Lexus models.

And how do you know it won't get it? The Tacoma is an all-new vehicle (that hasn't been updated since 2005 so frankly BSM/RCTA isn't the wow factor here, it's bringing the interior up by 10 years).

It probably will get it for Gen 4 when it's redesigned, like the Camry did in 2012 and the RAV4 in 2013.

P.S. the most advanced (and luxurious) Toyotas would technically be the Lexus LS or Toyota Crown Majesta, but I get what you mean. I do consider the Prius as one of the most advanced vehicles Toyota makes and it's nice that it's getting the cool toys.

 

Fair enough. You know it is coming down the line. The question is, which car will get it first and whether it's the car you're looking at .

 

Some more fuel for the speculation fire.

Future Toyota Integrated Safety Systems (2015 Edition) | PriusChat