Honda has made rapid progress with its range of driver-assist technologies this year. Tesla's Autopilot and Cadillac's Super Cruise may have made more headlines, but it was Honda that revealed the first car with Level 3 autonomous capability earlier this year. Since then, Honda has moved on to testing Level 4 technologies. This tech isn't yet available to customers, but Honda has now revealed an updated Honda Sensing 360 suite, an extension of the brand's existing Honda Sensing equipped to models like the Civic and CR-V. This new omnidirectional safety and driver-assistive system removes dangerous blind spots and reduces the likelihood of a crash.

The sensing range of the latest system not only includes the front and rear of the car but also omnidirectional sensors. Honda Sensing 360 will start being implemented in new vehicles in 2022. Initially, the system will only apply to the Chinese market, expanding to all other major markets by 2030. The suite employs a monocular camera and five units of millimeter-wave radar in front and at each corner of the car. This provides coverage of blind-spot zones that are typically challenging for a driver to check constantly. In common driving scenarios such as when turning left or right at an intersection, the system can detect both vehicles and pedestrians and initiate the Collision Mitigation Braking System if required.

Front cross-traffic alert, lane change collision mitigation, active lane change assist, and cornering speed assist are other features that are enhanced thanks to the Sensing 360's broader range of view. Audio and visual warnings are, therefore, more accurate than before. Cornering speed assist conveniently detects imminent curves on highways and adjusts the speed of the adaptive cruise control system. Honda Sensing 360 forms part of the automaker's greater goal of zero traffic collision fatalities involving the brand's cars and motorcycles by 2050.