Next-Gen Toyota Safety Technology Cruises Ahead

Toyota Motor Corp's just-launched Land Cruiser 200 SUV is the first model to feature the carmaker's new Safety Sense P technologies. The active safety system, which Toyota says is more advanced than a version introduced earlier this year on the Corolla small car in Japan, will be standard on all Land Cruiser 200 models.

Toyota Safety Sense P includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert and adaptive headlights.

The pre-collision system uses millimeter-wave radar and a single-lens camera to detect other vehicles and pedestrians in front of the vehicle. Audio and visual alerts help drivers identify potential obstacles.

If evasive action isn't taken, the system can send a brake pulse or fully apply the brakes as needed to avoid or mitigate a collision. The automated braking function works at vehicle speeds between 6 mph and 50 mph and can reduce speeds by as much as 25 mph, according to Toyota.

The new Land Cruiser also gets a panoramic monitor that lets drivers view conditions all around and under the vehicle. In addition to traditional blind-spot monitoring, the system allows drivers to see road surfaces immediately ahead of and directly below the vehicle during off-road maneuvers.

A rear cross traffic alert system detects approaching vehicles when the vehicle backs out of a parking space. Another system flashes the hazard lights during aggressive braking maneuvers.

The facelifted Land Cruiser 200 also gets a more muscular hood and a new grille. Oversized headlights feature light emitting diode lights.