Source: Lexus and Toyota Will Make Automated Braking Standard on Nearly Every Model and Trim Level by End of 2017 | Corporate March 21, 2016 NEW YORK, N.Y., March 21, 2016 – Advanced automatic safety technology that was once available on only the most expensive new vehicles is about to be included as standard equipment on almost every Lexus and Toyota model and trim level in the United States. Announced today at the New York Auto Show, Toyota will begin to include the Lexus Safety System +™ and Toyota Safety Sense™ packages, anchored by automatic emergency braking (AEB), on almost every new vehicle by the end of 2017. The announcement marks a major commitment by Toyota to help save lives and reduce highway injuries. Making Lexus Safety System +™ and Toyota Safety Sense™ standard equipment on almost every model by the end of 2017 will make AEB technology widely available four years ahead of the 2022 industry target announced last week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). “At Toyota, we are committed to creating better ways to move for everyone,” said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota Motor North America. “High-level driver assist technologies can do more than help protect people in the event of a crash; they can help prevent some crashes from ever happening in the first place. We are proud to help lead this industry in standardizing these systems and bring automated braking to our customers sooner rather than later.” Now I know when I'll buy our 2017 Level 2 ECO. Bob Wilson
are they ready for prime time? someone mentioned the car slamming the brakes on, on the highway, for no apparent reason.
Let the lawsuits fly! PCS ("automatic braking" when the haphazard technology thinks it's necessary is pretty stupid). I read in my owners manual it can be tripped by an expansion joint on a bridge. So driving in rush hour bumper to bumper traffic at the limit +20 and the car applies the brakes hard. Nothing bad can happen, right? Pearl S has PCS turned OFF, and it's been OFF since I read the manual. Silly engineers, driving is for people! If they can't they die. But at least the engineer isn't responsible! -I- would never allow that level of "engineering" on work I did.
currently, i don't even like the bms on my wife's hycam. i shut it off while driving it. it's constantly buzzing with every passing car.
My biggest disappointment would be if I move up a model or paid extra (or need a upgrade package) for this and then found out it was a standard item in the following year.
Kind like my current vehicle the first years model did not offer a winter package not even as a option the following year when I brought one it was standard.
Auto-Braking sounds good if you fall asleep, but on metropolitan freeways during rush hours? Be looking for the deactivation thread if manual bypass in not given.
This sounds great, to me. I have 1500 miles on my Four Touring with Premium Convenience Package, including a trip to San Francisco from Southern California. I used the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control much of the way. It's awesome. At one point, traffic slowed from 70 mph to about 15 mph, rather quickly. The DRCC handled it flawlessly. Cars got over in front of me. The car slowed but not in any way that was scary. My passengers weren't even aware that it wasn't me controlling the braking and acceleration. Additionally, I have had nothing but great experiences with the parking, rear cross traffic, and pedestrian sensors. On the other hand, I have had people who haven't driven the car tell me it would do scary things, react badly to people cutting me off, and so on. Yet in 6 plus hours of driving yesterday, I was very impressed and it made me love this car even more. My blind spot monitor is great, too. It doesn't make noise. I would like it if it did. But, the lights on the mirror are so helpful. I used them multiple times to know when it was safe to make a lane change on a two lane highway.
I'm a longtime Mac user. It's a matter of perspective. You can get pissed about it. Or you can think about how you have had that feature for a year now and enjoying it. No doubt, the Prius Five is going to come out in 2017 and it will have the ATP, PCP, full tech, a moonroof, plus black console. Will I be upset? Nope. Because I have a great car that I am driving right now and I didn't have to wait. People need to realize that cars and technology will always get better. And whatever you buy today will be outpaced in a matter of years, maybe months. Try to enjoy what you have, not what you didn't get. Or be miserable. The choice is yours. (Not directed at you, Bob.)
IIRC - The 2010 was Toyota's 1st attempt at auto breaking / LKA, etc,on their Advance Package Pri. Preliminary reports of 'issues' in part, lead us to cancel our order after it arrived at Kalispell Toyota. It's ok - they sold it the very same day to someone else. all of that to say I'll be happy to wait until I know all the bugs are ironed out.
As I'm reading these posts, I get the impression that you people think that the auto braking system will apply the brakes before you would on a normal commute. It just doesn't work like that. The PCS system has several levels of safety checks and procedures before it actually applies the brakes. By that time you would have totally ignored what's happening in front of you and would have rear ended someone had the PCS not activated. The PCS is always sensing the vehicle ahead of you and reading your speed and always calculating the speed difference and it's braking ability. If it calculates that you're not decelerating enough to avoid collision, it'll give you the initial warning beep. Most people will apply the brakes to avoid collision. If you don't react, it primes the brakes for emergency braking and coil back the seat belts. When you apply brakes at 25 or 30% force, the brakes will react at 75-90% of force. You'll stop with a few feet to spare. If you completely ignore the warning beeps, and just want to hit the car in front of you, the PCS will automatically brake at the very last second. As I understand it, if you're driving at 25 or slower, the PCS will brake to a complete stop. If over 25, the PCS will slow the car down by 25mph and the impact is 25mph less than the initial speed. If your going 30 and totally ignore the PCS, the actual impact speed will be 5mph. Going 50 and the impact speed is 25. My first gen PCS doesn't stop the car completely on its own but it has saved me 3 times in the 2 years with only the beep warnings and priming the brakes and tightening the seatbelts. The new system will be even more safer than the first generation. If you don't want the auto braking, you can always turn the braking off and only rely on the warning beeps and brake priming. As far as the beep warning, if you have a passenger in the car and it starts beeping, your passenger will be bracing for impact. It's up to you to brake. If you brake, you'll stop with a few feet to spare. If you don't brake the impact is 25mph less than the initial impact would have been.
I've had PCS activate a few times and it has never activated the automated braking. If it did, I would be asking about the cost to repair a 2010 Prius. Once, it was actually because the car in front was braking harder than I thought so the closing distance was rapid enough to activate the PCS "BRAKE!" warning so I took action and braked harder. Thanks! This is the only time where it operated as I expected. Another time, it tightened the seatbelt but without a "BRAKE!" warning because a car cut in front of me and I rapidly let go of the accelerator and press on the brake. That's fine. It's just being cautious and preemptively preparing the front occupants in case of collision. On several occasions, when I approach the peak of a bridge or where the bridge splits into two roads at the end of the bridge and there's a metal sign (with chevrons), it'll say "BRAKE!" and beep rapidly but it lasts a second at most. That's it. No braking on its part. Yes, there were a few posts on PC about PCS-braking on the highway and that's definitely scary but for the last 6.5 years of ownership over a wide variety of roads, it has worked as intended. Stop driving so close to the line But seriously, it should only be a solid yellow light. If it's blinking, it thinks you're trying to change lanes. PCS-braking has always been an option in the Prius (Gen 3 has a PCS-OFF button under the steering wheel column near the brake pedal) and the Gen 4 has it on the 4.2" MID under the Vehicle Settings menu.
I've just come from the future, I travelled back with my iPhone 487c I got it free with my Gen 354 Flying Prius as part of the tech pack. Now I've got to work out how to get back, doh !
Called by local 'sales manager' and: I explained,"I understand automatic braking is coming out on all Toyota models next year. I am only interested in a Level 2 ECO with Advanced Technology Package. The closest would be a Level 3 with ATP costing about $30,000." He said,"It makes sense. Why pay for what will be free next year?" I said,"Well at least reasonable." So he is putting me on a 'long term' list to call when what I want is finally available. Bob Wilson
It will be available at the end of 2017 so they'll most likely be 2018 model year. Judging from past Prius generations, that's when the refresh take place. I'll wait for the refresh. You'd get updated front and rear end. Maybe they'll have the 11.6 inch display as an option.
I doubt it will be "free". There will probably be an increase in the base MSRP. It's a U.S. thing for Gen 4. Canada has the old system of 5km/h increments if you hold the CC stalk.
