Hyundai will bring assisted highway driving to US in 2019
Expect it to arrive alongside a refreshed Genesis G90.
Hyundai splits its advanced driver-assist systems into two categories -- safety and convenience. One key piece of convenient driver-assist tech has been in Korea since 2015, but soon, it'll finally land in the US.
Hyundai announced Wednesday that it will bring its Highway Driving Assist system to the US market in 2019. The system will debut as part of a mid-cycle refresh for the Genesis G90 luxury sedan.
Highway Driving Assist was introduced to the public in Hyundai's home country of South Korea in 2015, again on the G90. The system was received warmly, with high take rates and consistent demand. Now, with these systems becoming more popular in the US market, Hyundai decided it was time to bring it Stateside.
Since it's still a couple years away, we're not entirely sure what the G90 refresh will entail, aside from adding Highway Driving Assist.
While it might debut on Hyundai's most expensive vehicle, it won't stay that unattainable for long. Following its debut on the G90, Highway Driving Assist will also appear on the next-generation Sonata -- that's a few years off, though, considering Hyundai just rolled out a new Sonata at the New York Auto Show last year.
In Korea, the system is currently available on three Genesis models (G90, G80, G70) and three Hyundai models (Azera, Sonata, Santa Fe).
But given that the system is already a few years old, it won't stick around in its current form for long. Hyundai already has plans for the second iteration of Highway Driving Assist, and it's planned to debut in 2020. Its capabilities will grow to include lane changes, and overall performance should improve, as well.
Right now, several automakers have similar systems in place in the US. Mercedes has Pilot Assist, which handles single-lane holding, as well as lane changes. Volvo has Drive Pilot, which operates similarly. And, of course, there's Tesla's Autopilot, which has all those features, too. Nissan's ProPilot system has similar functionality to Highway Assist, and it's arriving this year on Leaf and Rogue.
Even though Hyundai waited a few years between rolling the system out in Korea and the US, it's still among the first affordable automakers to do so.
