Understanding the Honda Sensing Suite

Honda Sensing Suite is a technology that offers a collection of advanced safety features that are aimed to enhance your Honda offering's protective parameters under dangerous driving conditions. This feature is offered in 3 models that are available in the Malaysian market. These models include the 1.5L TC Premium variant of the company’s sport utility vehicle segment leader CR-V. The Honda sensing technology is also available in the Accord 2.4 VTi-L Advance variant and the Odyssey 2.4L EXV model. In several other markets, the Honda Sensing Suite will be offered as standard across the Japanese carmaker’s lineup. The Honda sensing feature is an initiative by the Japanese carmaker aimed to bring next-generation safety features to mainstream, high-volume production models and even offer the technology as standard across several nameplates on such a wide scale.

Safety features like Collision Mitigation, Lane Keeping Assist, Road Departure Mitigation, Low-Speed Fallout, and several others are offered under the Honda Sensing Suite. Blind Spot Indicators are also offered in some models however interestingly these are not part of Honda Sensing Package. Also, the Honda Sensing technology is only offered in the CVT versions of the Japanese carmaker’s offerings and not the manual transmission version for obvious reasons. Now, let's take a deep dive into what exactly Honda Sensing has to offer.

Forward Collision Warning System

As the name suggests this feature warns as you are approaching a vehicle right ahead of you while cruising at a high speed. The feature senses the vehicle head and computes whether or not there is a threat of collision and warns the driver with the help of a series of beeps. The company insists that the driver should always be attentive even while this feature is operational as it is not an alternative to conscientious driving.

Collision Mitigated Braking System

This system works in conjunction with the forward-collision warning system. Honda has designed this feature to gently apply the brakes when the sensors detect a possible collision with the object right ahead of your vehicle. As your car approaches the vehicle ahead and Honda Sensing warns you with a series of beeps about the danger, if the suite notices that the driver is not applying the brakes, then the feature will apply the brakes for the driver. In case the object ahead of your vehicle poses a threat of an imminent collision, then the system will go as far as applying the brakes to bring the vehicle to a complete stop.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow

Cruise Control is fast becoming a must-have feature for car buyers who constantly commute with their vehicles. Over the years, this feature has been tweaked to offer a wide spectrum of customization options. These levels of customizations include capabilities such as setting a particular cruising speed and even specifying car length intervals with the car directly ahead of your vehicle.

Drivers can set up the length interval to four car lengths so that even if you set a higher cruising speed than the car ahead of you, the system will automatically reduce your speed to ensure that the four-car length distance between you and the vehicle in front you is maintained.

A particularly impressive trait of this feature is that it will also automatically reduce your speed to maintain the pre-assigned distance limit in case a third car cuts you off and comes in the middle of you and the car directly ahead of you.

Lane Departure Warning System

On the instrumentation display, drivers can find a symbol depicting the lanes on a road or a freeway. This symbol can be found right on top of the range icon. If the system notices that you are trying to change lanes without indicating it will warn you with a series of beeps just like the forward-collision warning system. A warning will also pop up on the multi-information screen.

Lane Keeping Assist System

Similar to how the forward-collision warning system worked in tandem with collision mitigated braking system, the lane-keeping assist system works together with the lane departure warning system. Once the car notices that the driver is trying to change lanes without signaling, the system will intervene and gently correct the steering and move the car back into its designated lane. The system only starts working at freeway speeds which is over 72 kilometers per hour. When the car reaches the required speed the lines of the lane-keeping assist symbol turn solid indicating that the feature is now active.

Road Departure Mitigation System

Like the lane-keeping system, the road departure mitigation feature has been designed to make sure that your vehicle stays on the road. If the suite senses that you are going off the road then the feature will either correct your steering or even apply the brakes and therefore prevent you from going off-road hence avoiding possible accidents.

What features use Honda Sensing equipment but are not part of the suite?

Traffic Sign recognition

In case you are driving in an unknown territory which you are not familiar with, Honda Sensing Suite’s camera picks up the speed limit signs on the road using the traffic sign recognition interface and relays the speed limit for that stretch of the road onto your instrumentation display.

Cross-traffic monitoring

This system uses the rearview camera to detect any traffic directly behind the vehicle in case the driver is not paying attention and then goes on to warn the driver if there is a threat of an imminent collision.

When does the Honda Sensing Suite stop working?

Honda sensing suite is a very capable interface and works quite effectively most of the time. It is, however, worth noting that in case of heavy rains or if the road surface is covered by snow or even if the lines on the roads are half painted, some features like the lane-keeping assist might not work. In which case, the instrument display will notify the driver that the system is not online.

How do I know if I have Honda sensing?

If a dotted road outline appears on your multi-information display when you press the main button on the bottom right side of the steering wheel, then your car has Honda Sensing Suite.

Is Honda sensing worth the money?

Honda Sensing Suite is one of the most advanced safety and driver assistance technology to be offered in mainstream models which enhances the safety of its occupants exponentially and therefore we recommend it is worth the money.

Does Honda sensing detect pedestrians?

No, Honda Sensing Suite cannot detect pedestrians.

Also Read: Honda Sensing vs. Toyota Safety Sense