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Nissan brings standard automatic braking to 1M cars for 2018

The technology will become standard on Nissan's most popular vehicle lines.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
2 min read
Nick Miotke/Roadshow

Twenty different automakers have agreed to make autonomous emergency braking standard on their cars by 2022, but Nissan didn't feel like sitting on its hands for another five years.

Nissan announced Thursday that it would add standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB) to a number of its most popular models for the 2018 model year. The group comprises the Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, Murano and Leaf. Nissan expects this update to cover approximately 1 million vehicles sold.

2017 Nissan Rogue Sport
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2017 Nissan Rogue Sport

AEB might be a little jarring when it kicks in, but it's better than having to exchange information with the person you just hit.

Nissan

Not only is it important because Nissan made AEB standard on many of its cars years before it promised to, it's also a key feature in reducing accidents and improving road safety. A car capable of braking itself can be the difference between a sigh of relief and a trip to the body shop.

Nissan's AEB system uses radar to determine the approach speed of the cars ahead. If it sees that a collision is possible, it will alert the driver with both audio and visual stimuli. If the driver doesn't apply the brakes, the vehicle will take matters into its own hands, either avoiding the collision entirely or mitigating damage by slowing down as much as possible.

Of the vehicles on this list, only the Leaf will be getting a major update for the 2018 model year. Set to be unveiled later this year, the second-generation Leaf will pack a number of new technologies, including both AEB and ProPilot, a semiautonomous system that will hold the vehicle in its lane on the highway.

2017 Nissan Rogue Sport is a right-sized small crossover SUV

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