Lexus Shows Advanced Safety Technologies for New LS at Geneva

Lexus 03 Mar 2006 15:21 GMT

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Lexus unveiled today advanced safety technologies—including the world's first Rear Pre-crash Safety System—for the new LS at the 76th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland.

The new LS employs a newly developed 4.6-liter V8 engine and the world's first electronically controlled eight-speed automatic transmission to achieve both superior driving and environmental performance. A newly developed platform and suspension, as well as VGRS^*1, VDIM^*2 and the various advanced safety technologies unveiled today allow the new LS to achieve excellent dynamic and safety performance.

The advanced LS safety technologies are described below.

Pre-crash Safety System
■ Enhanced Pre-crash Safety System
The addition of stereo cameras and improvements to millimeter-wave radar now enable the Pre-crash Safety System to detect pedestrians, which the earlier system could not do effectively. The system warns the driver when it determines that the possibility of a collision is high. If the driver does not brake, Pre-crash Brakes are applied to reduce collision speed. (Previous systems detected only vehicles and obstacles on the road ahead and on-coming vehicles.)

The integration of such systems as VDIM, VGRS and AVS^*3 aids collision-avoidance maneuvering.

■ The World's First Rear Pre-crash Safety System
A millimeter-wave radar device in the rear bumper continuously scans the distance from a vehicle approaching from behind, as well as its speed and angle of approach. If the system determines a high probability of collision, it automatically activates the front-seat Pre-crash Headrests^*3, which move forward and upward in anticipation of an impact, aiming to greatly reduce the risk of whiplash injury.

■ Pre-crash Safety System with Driver Monitoring System
In addition to the stereo cameras and the use of millimeter-wave radar that detect preceding vehicles, obstacles on the road ahead and oncoming vehicles, a camera mounted on the steering column and an image-processing computer are used to detect the direction of the driver's face. If the system detects that the driver is not facing forward when it determines that the possibility of a collision is high, it warns the driver sooner than it would when it detects that the driver is facing forward. If the driver does not brake, the Pre-crash Brakes are applied to reduce collision speed.

SRS Airbag System
■ SRS^*4 Knee Airbags for Both Front Passengers
In addition to front, side and curtain shield airbags, the new LS460 offers SRS knee airbags for both front passengers.

■ SRS Twin-chamber Airbag (front passenger seat)
The front passenger seat features an SRS Twin-chamber Airbag based on the Omni-support Concept^*5. Unlike conventional airbags, which are deployed as a single element, the new airbag's two chambers create a depression in the center of the airbag upon deployment. The airbag comes into contact with multiple surfaces on the passenger's body such as the head and shoulders to disperse the physical impact of the airbag.

Driving Assist Function
■ The Lane-Keeping Assist System
This system assists in steering operations to help the driver stay in the lane, thereby reducing the driving burden on the driver.

The new LS 460 is scheduled to go on sale worldwide, including Japan, in the autumn of 2006. Also, Lexus plans to display an LS hybrid model at the New York International Auto Show in April.

*1 Variable Gear Ratio Steering
*2 Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management
*3 Adaptive Variable Suspension System
*4 Supplemental Restraint System
*5 Distributes the impact from a collision by supporting the occupant at many points, in order to lessen the force applied to the human body.

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