2015 Subaru Liberty to pack standard EyeSight safety tech

EyeSight driver assistance on next Liberty will mean cheaper insurance.

Lower insurance costs will be part of the package when the new Subaru Liberty arrives in Australia in January. Subaru has confirmed all versions of its mid-sized sedan will be fitted with the latest EyeSight driver assistance.

The updated software includes brake light recognition, improved pedestrian detection, city-speed automated braking and steering assistance and adaptive cruise control.

Insurers Allianz and IAG already reduce premiums for owners whose cars are fitted with the previous version of the EyeSight technology, which uses a pair of cameras fitted to the top of the windscreen to scan the road ahead of the vehicle and detect potential accidents.

Subaru Australia boss Nick Senior says the safety enhancements will boost the appeal of the sixth-generation Liberty (pictured, US model). "Another hidden benefit of EyeSight is that, if a collision does occur, the position of the cameras helps avoid potentially costly damage to them," he says.

"Some competing systems have sensors and equipment right at the front of the car, including the grille, and this can be an expensive repair exercise." Pricing and specification for the new range has yet to be announced but the competition in the segment, where the Mazda6 and Toyota Camry dominate, should mean little variance on the $33,000 starting price. The car is already on sale in the US, where it is fitted with 2.5-litre four-cylinder and 3.6-litre six-cylinder engines matched to Subaru's "Lineartronic" continuously variable automatic.

EyeSight

Subaru Australia has yet to confirm if the Outback SUV - based on the Liberty platform - will also be getting EyeSight as standard in the 4WD wagon. But given the Outback is $5000 more than the sedan and EyeSight is already fitted to the top-spec version of the current model, it's a reasonably safe bet.