Self-driving system on Hyundai’s luxe model

Hyundai Motor will offer a self-driving system for highways on the EQ 900, the first car to be rolled out under the automaker’s new luxury brand, Genesis.

According to industry sources on Sunday, the nation’s leading automaker is set to commercialize its long-distance autonomous driving system known as Highway Driving Assist System (HDA) and chose the EQ 900, the successor to its flagship Equus sedan, which will be unveiled and start sales in December.

Most automakers introduce their newest car technology with a model in the highest segment, as BMW did with its new 7 Series in October.

With the HDA system, a car can maintain a distance from a vehicle in front of it without the driver doing anything. HAD has a lane guidance system and an advanced smart cruise control system. It also detects whether a car is going into a curve and adjusts the speed.

The automaker has reportedly finished 70,000 kilometers of trial runs.

This is Hyundai Motor’s first step toward autonomous driving.

“Consumers will soon meet the company’s most high-end car technologies with the Genesis brand’s first model this year,” said a spokesman of Hyundai Motor.

Last week, Hyundai Motor announced it was launching a luxury brand and using the name of its premium sedan, Genesis. Genesis was launched in response to growing global demand for luxury cars, including in Korea, and to strategically compete with other premium brands.

According to a report by market researcher IHS, sales of luxury cars have increased by an average of 10.5 percent per year since 2010, or from 5.79 million cars sold globally in 2010 to 8.33 million last year.

BY KWON SANG-SOO [kwon.sangsoo@joongang.co.kr]