Despite we expected to have Autonomous Level 3 in the Genesis G90 already, looks like Genesis is still fine tuning the system as a new prototype was caught by our colleagues at GGoma Studio inside a parking lot in South Korea. The prototype showed the already known LiDar front radars we already have seen in some spy photos and patents but this new set allow us to see a Tesla-like side fender cameras have been added. It is unknown when this Autonomous G90 will be on sale.
Back on December 2022, the National Institute of Environmental Research’s Transportation Environment Research Institute said that Hyundai Motor Group’s latest highway self-driving system, the G90 equipped with ‘HDP’ (Highway Driving Pilot), had passed emission and noise certification for the launch of a new car. So it was expected to have it added when the 2023 G90 was released in April 2023 there was no word about it until now, that we have seen this prototype.
The HDP developed by Hyundai Motor Group corresponds to Level 3 of the 0 to 5 autonomous driving standards according to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). It is a conditional automation that responds only to emergencies without the driver holding the steering wheel on highways or motorways, and is classified as the first stage of ‘completely autonomous driving’.
The Genesis G90 could still be the first vehicle to be equipped with level 3 autonomous driving function in South Korea, but don’t forget KIA and their EV9 Autonomous Level 3 prototype we recently spied. Equipped with the latest sensor technology such as lidar, the Genesis G90 can perform level 3 functions up to 80 km/h, and is evaluated as the most advanced self-driving car among mass-produced cars currently on sale. Only a few models, such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in Germany and the Honda Legend in Japan, are equipped with Level 3 technology and have received official certification from governments. Even with this level 3 function, the maximum speed that can be driven is limited to 60 km/h.
Detail of the side fender camera on this Genesis G90 prototype
Relevant laws have also been established. To support the early commercialization of self-driving cars, the government revised the safety standards for level 3 self-driving cars this year to match international standards. According to the amendment, the international standard for autonomous vehicles is 60 km/h, but the domestic standard allows up to the speed limit for each road, so there is virtually no limit.
Starting with the Genesis G90, Hyundai Motor Group plans to expand HDP to new models of affiliated brands such as Hyundai Motor and Kia from the new year. The next model to be loaded with HDP is likely to be the ‘EV9’ that Kia is already testing. Hyundai Motor Group’s new cars currently on sale are equipped with ‘HDA2’ (Highway Driving Assist 2), a level 2 level that requires you to hold the steering wheel at all times.
Hyundai Motor Group is also developing Level 3 Remote Parking Pilot (RPP) technology. In addition, in order to advance autonomous driving technology, it plans to develop a third-generation integrated controller based on next-generation high-performance semiconductors in advance to respond to the era of complete autonomous driving such as level 4 and 5 to come.
