Toyota tiene coches equivalentes en categoría, equipamientos y demás, como dices, los Lexus. Marca que ha encabezado casi siempre los índices de fiabilidad de JD Power, mientras que Audi, BMW y, años ha, Mercedes, solían tener puntuaciones bastante discretas.
Y Toyota tiene coches mejor o peor equipados.
En cuanto al radar ya los había antes de 2008...
1997:
Toyota began to offer a "laser adaptive cruise control" (
lidar) system on the Japanese market
Celsior.[SUP]
[7][/SUP] It only controlled speed through throttle control and downshifting, but did not apply the brakes.
2000: The
Lexus division was the first to bring laser adaptive cruise control to the US market in late 2000 with the
LS 430's Dynamic Laser Cruise Control system
2003: Toyota shifted from
laser (
lidar) to
radar ACC technology: October 2003 radar ACC on the Celsior.[SUP]
[7][/SUP] The first Lexus Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and a
radar-guided
pre-collision system on the
Lexus LS(XF30) US market facelift.[SUP]
[18][/SUP]
2004: Toyota added "low-speed tracking mode" to the radar ACC on the Crown Majesta.[SUP]
[7][/SUP] The low-speed speed tracking mode was a second mode that would warn the driver if the car ahead stopped and provide braking; it could stop the car but then deactivated.
2006: September 2006 Toyota introduced its "all-speed tracking function" for the
Lexus LS 460.[SUP]
[7][/SUP] This radar-assisted system maintains continuous control from speeds of 0 km/h to 100 km/h and is designed to work under repeated starting and stopping situations such as highway traffic congestion.