Honda demos its self-driving car at California test track

Honda has been quietly developing self-driving car technology and this week it finally offered an early look at what it’s achieved so far. The company revealed a semi-autonomous version of its Acura RLX Sport Hybrid at a private testing facility just 30 miles away from San Francisco.

The company didn’t say when it plans to launch a totally autonomous car, but Reuters reports that some of its self-driving features are already hitting the market. Two versions of Honda’s Acura and Civic vehicles can warn you to avoid a forward-collision or lane departures. They also offer lane assistance and cost about $22,000.

“This is a unique differentiator for Honda … who is committed to the concept of safety for everyone,” said Jim Keller, Honda’s chief R&D engineer for the Americas. “Unless we democratize it across our lineup it will be just a niche.”

Honda’s been able to keep its efforts under the radar for the most part and promises the company’s first self-driving cars won’t disappoint. “We under-promise and over-deliver as a promise, as a company,” said Keller. “There are a lot of promises talked about by a lot of companies.”