Automated “Super Cruise” to be Standard on Top Caddy CT6

General Motors Co. will introduce its new Super Cruise self-driving technology as standard equipment this autumn on the top trim line of the Cadillac CT6 luxury sedan.

The carmaker had planned to debut the system as a $2,500 option but now will include it in the CT6 Platinum’s starting price of $85,300 as part of Cadillac’s so-called “2018i” interim model year, Automotive News reports. Super Cruise will be optional on the CT6 Premium Luxury trim, according to the newspaper, which says pricing for that model hasn’t been announced.

Cadillac launched an advertising campaign for the system Sunday night during the MTV Video Music Awards. In the ads, the carmaker bills Super Cruise as “the world's first true hands-free driving system for the freeway.”

As with other semiautonomous systems, Super Cruise can accelerate, brake and steer a car within a driving lane without driver input under certain highway conditions. GM says the system’s unique feature is an industry-first attention monitoring system to make sure the operator remains ready to take control if necessary.

Sensors mounted at the top of the steering column monitor the driver’s eyes and head. If the system senses the driver is sleeping or not paying attention, it sends a mix of escalating audio, visual and haptic alerts and will eventually pull the vehicle to the side of the road and bring it to a stop if the operator remains unresponsive.

To more precisely track and control a vehicle's location, the Super Cruise system uses a lidar-scanned database and lane-centering technology in addition to current GPS, cameras and radar sensors. The lidar system, which GM also touts as an industry first, was used to map every mile of limited-access highways in the U.S. and Canada.