The function will be included in new models of the Levorg wagon and the WRX S4 sport sedan to be launched this summer.
The fully remodelled vehicles will be priced only several tens of thousands of yen higher than the current models as the company hopes to promote the new safety technology.
Subaru will be the second Japanese automaker to realise an autonomous driving function on expressways, following Nissan Motor Co. . Foreign brands including Germany''s Mercedes-Benz have already launched models with autonomous functions working on expressways.
"The performance of Subaru''s new function is equal or greater than those of other companies," a Subaru executive said.
At the same time, however, the company plans to call on drivers not to be overconfident with the new feature. Subaru''s new automatic tracking function will be offered as part of its upgraded EyeSight driving assistance system. Stereo cameras will monitor the vehicles travelling ahead and lane markings, activating the feature at any speed of up to about 120kph.
The company will make the new function standard on all models marketed in Japan. It will be added to vehicles when they undergo full model changeovers.
Subaru is also aiming to put an autonomous lane-changing function on expressways into practical use in 2020.
In addition, the company is considering giving priority to upgrading its automatic braking system to prevent accidents at intersections. But it is not aiming to develop a fully driverless vehicle as it explains in this other Subaru article.
