<p>Honda launched the world's most advanced self-driving car licensed for the road on Friday, releasing an initial batch of 100 models in Japan.</p>.<p>The Legend is capable of adaptive driving in lanes, as well as passing and switching lanes under certain circumstances.</p>.<p>The car also features an emergency stop function in case a driver is unresponsive to handover warnings, and Honda touts extensive safety testing.</p>.<p>"Approximately 10 million patterns of possible real-world situations were simulated during system development, and real-world demonstration tests were conducted on expressways for a total of approximately 1.3 million kilometres (800,000 miles)," it said in a statement.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/dh-wheels/honda-to-sell-limited-batch-of-level-3-self-driving-cars-957982.html" target="_blank">Honda to sell limited batch of level 3 self-driving cars</a></strong></p>.<p>Experts said the limited rollout would help determine whether there is sufficient demand for more autonomous vehicles.</p>.<p>Vehicle autonomy is classified along a 0-5 scale, with 5 indicating essentially total autonomy. The Legend is Level 3.</p>.<p>Several automakers have already manufactured vehicles capable of Level 3 autonomy, but few countries have legal frameworks permitting their sale and use.</p>.<p>Honda's Legend release comes after the carmaker won approval for sales in Japan last November.</p>.<p>The government had already amended the law to allow for such vehicles, believing self-driving cars will be key in a country with a rapidly ageing population in need of safe transportation solutions.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/volkswagen-taps-microsofts-cloud-to-develop-self-driving-software-949939.html" target="_blank">Volkswagen taps Microsoft's cloud to develop self-driving software</a></strong></p>.<p>Automakers and tech firms are locked in a fierce battle for the lead in self-driving technology, with electric carmaker Tesla among the challengers.</p>.<p>For now, analysts say automakers are still a long way from a true Level 4 system, in which a car is considered to no longer have a driver, just passengers.</p>.<p>Level 5 vehicles would theoretically have no steering wheel or other driver controls and would be capable of handling all terrain types and weather without driver assistance.</p>.<p>Honda's limited release of the Legend will be available only for lease sales. The partially self-driving sedan is priced at 11 million yen ($102,000).</p>
<p>Honda launched the world's most advanced self-driving car licensed for the road on Friday, releasing an initial batch of 100 models in Japan.</p>.<p>The Legend is capable of adaptive driving in lanes, as well as passing and switching lanes under certain circumstances.</p>.<p>The car also features an emergency stop function in case a driver is unresponsive to handover warnings, and Honda touts extensive safety testing.</p>.<p>"Approximately 10 million patterns of possible real-world situations were simulated during system development, and real-world demonstration tests were conducted on expressways for a total of approximately 1.3 million kilometres (800,000 miles)," it said in a statement.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/dh-wheels/honda-to-sell-limited-batch-of-level-3-self-driving-cars-957982.html" target="_blank">Honda to sell limited batch of level 3 self-driving cars</a></strong></p>.<p>Experts said the limited rollout would help determine whether there is sufficient demand for more autonomous vehicles.</p>.<p>Vehicle autonomy is classified along a 0-5 scale, with 5 indicating essentially total autonomy. The Legend is Level 3.</p>.<p>Several automakers have already manufactured vehicles capable of Level 3 autonomy, but few countries have legal frameworks permitting their sale and use.</p>.<p>Honda's Legend release comes after the carmaker won approval for sales in Japan last November.</p>.<p>The government had already amended the law to allow for such vehicles, believing self-driving cars will be key in a country with a rapidly ageing population in need of safe transportation solutions.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/volkswagen-taps-microsofts-cloud-to-develop-self-driving-software-949939.html" target="_blank">Volkswagen taps Microsoft's cloud to develop self-driving software</a></strong></p>.<p>Automakers and tech firms are locked in a fierce battle for the lead in self-driving technology, with electric carmaker Tesla among the challengers.</p>.<p>For now, analysts say automakers are still a long way from a true Level 4 system, in which a car is considered to no longer have a driver, just passengers.</p>.<p>Level 5 vehicles would theoretically have no steering wheel or other driver controls and would be capable of handling all terrain types and weather without driver assistance.</p>.<p>Honda's limited release of the Legend will be available only for lease sales. The partially self-driving sedan is priced at 11 million yen ($102,000).</p>