Honda to sell limited batch of Legend sedan level 3 self-driving cars

TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co Ltd on Thursday said it will sell a limited batch of its flagship Legend sedan equipped with level 3 autonomous driving technology that enables vehicles to navigate congested highways.

The Japanese automaker's plan to sell 100 of the vehicles with the advanced technology would represent a significant step towards its goal of being the first company to mass produce a car with level 3 technology.

The Legend's "Traffic Jam Pilot" system can control acceleration, braking and steering under certain conditions.

Global automakers and tech companies, including Google parent Alphabet Inc's Waymo and Tesla Inc, have been investing heavily in autonomous driving.

Yet even as the technology advances, regulations on autonomous driving differ from country to country. Audi unveiled an A8 sedan with level 3 technology in 2017 but regulatory hurdles have prevented it from being widely introduced.

The limited edition Legend will be sold from Friday in Japan at a retail price of 11 million yen ($103,000), Honda said.

($1 = 107.0500 yen)

 

(Reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu)