Subaru Doubles Down on Driver Monitoring With 2023 Legacy

Subaru is continuing to highlight biometric technologies in its 2023 product lineup. The company recently unveiled the 2023 edition of its Legacy midsize sedan, and confirmed that the vehicle would feature the company’s DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System.

The DriverFocus system utilizes an in-car infrared camera to monitor the driver. It will use audio and visual alerts to signal the driver if it notices any signs of fatigue, or if the person behind the wheel appears to be distracted. In doing so, it ensures that the driver’s eyes remain on the road, and helps mitigate the chance of a collision.

The Legacy will also come equipped with Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist solution to further enhance on-road safety. EyeSight Driver Assist uses external cameras to warn the driver about pedestrians, bikers, and other obstacles that may appear in someone’s blind spots, and can apply the brakes to prevent a crash if the vehicle is traveling at low speeds. EyeSight Driver Assist will be available in all Legacy models, while DriverFocus comes standard in the higher-end Sport and Touring XT editions.

The 2023 version of EyeSight Driver Assist improves on its predecessors with a wider field of view and better control software. Those who are interested can upgrade to an EyeSight Assist Monitor that provides drivers with a more intuitive heads-up display.

Other next-generation features include remote keyless access and a voice-powered navigation system. The navigation system utilizes location technology from TomTom and SiriusXM Travel Link, and is compatible with the what3words solution, which applies a grid to the map and assigns a unique three-word code to every single square.

Subaru introduced DriverAssist with the 2019 Forrester, and recently announced that the technology will also be featured in the 2023 Outback SUV. Like the Legacy, this year’s Outback offers what3words and EyeSight Driver Assist utilities, as well.

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May 13, 2022 – by Eric Weiss