Subaru Australia has confirmed manual versions of the BRZ sports car are set to gain a version of the company’s EyeSight driver assist system by the end of the year as part of a model year update.
To date, manual transmission-equipped Subaru BRZ models have missed out on the stereo camera technology offered in automatic models, which provides active safety and driver assist features like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and adaptive cruise control.
“This announcement confirms Subaru Australia’s ongoing commitment to providing driving enthusiasts manual transmission options now combined with advanced safety features of Eyesight,” said Subaru Australia managing director Blair Read.
This local announcement follows a few hours after Subaru globally announced manual-equipped BRZ models are gaining the equipment in Japan during the northern hemisphere autumn (September to December).
At this stage the company hasn’t disclosed its plans to introduce the EyeSight system on manual versions of the WRX.
Subaru has confirmed the newly developed EyeSight for manual vehicles is based on the system for automatic cars and offers autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane departure warning, sway warning, lead vehicle start alert, and rear sonar warning.
The Japanese carmaker says the EyeSight system is now “combined with control tailored to driving and operating characteristics of MT vehicles”.
Subaru first introduced its EyeSight driver assist system in Japan in 2008, with Australia first receiving it on range-topping Liberty and Outback models in 2012.
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Current BRZ
The Japanese carmaker currently claims it has sold more than 5.5 million vehicles with the EyeSight system equipped.
Subaru is currently aiming to achieve zero fatal road accidents among occupants of Subaru vehicles and people involved in collisions with Subaru vehicles in 2030.
Over the years the safety safety has gained more features and more recently gained a new stereo camera in other markets that features a third wide-angle greyscale camera for a better field of view.
Subaru also introduced its EyeSightX advanced driver assist system in Japan in 2020.
This EyeSightX system has a new stereo camera with four radar units in the front and rear bumpers which allow for “extended functions” such as autonomous driving in congested traffic, lane change assist, and speed control before entering a curve in the road.
It’s unclear at this stage when any of these updated EyeSight systems will be introduced in Australia.
