2021 Highlander SUV to Get Toyota Safety Sense 2.5
Toyota Safety Sense, a suite of driver-assistive technologies designed to help prevent accidents, has blazed the trail for semi-autonomous safety features in the auto industry since it was first announced in 2015. In 2018, the automaker introduced the second generation of TSS, and now, Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 is expected to arrive with the 2021 Highlander SUV.
According to a document sent to fleet customers, both the new 2021 Highlander and the 2021 Highlander Hybrid will benefit from updates to Toyota’s advanced suite of safety features. It will come with an improved pre-collision system that can handle left turns at intersections, a “Curve Speed Management” feature for its adaptive cruise control system, and a “Risk Avoidance Emergency Steering” feature for its lane-keeping assistance system.
Toyota Safety Sense: Learn more about what it includes
It’s not yet clear what these new features do, but we don’t expect to have to wait too long before getting more details. Toyota has recently been making a buzz about the Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 that will be equipped on the 2021 Lexus IS, which it says will feature updates that help “prevent additional types of collisions, additional emergency steering assist and more.”
TSS is now standard on 18 Toyota models sold for the Canadian market, while LSS+ is standard on all Lexus models. Its most notable feature is the automatic emergency braking system that can detect obstacles ahead and bring the car to a stop if needed. TSS 2.0 then improved the performance and perception of this system while also including the ability to detect bicyclists during the day and pedestrians in low-light conditions. We expect Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 and subsequent updates to become even better at detecting any obstacle in all types of light conditions.
Three-Row SUV: Which one is right for you?
Though the 2021 Toyota Highlander will get TSS 2.5, the all-new 2021 Toyota Venza will not. In fact, according to CarsDirect, none of the 2021 models announced so far will get the latest version of the safety suite. With more and more SUVs and crossovers on the market, perhaps Toyota hopes TSS 2.5 to be a selling point for the three-row Highlander.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.