Honda to sell advanced 'level 3' self-driving car

Self-driving cars equipped to navigate congested highways...

Honda says it will sell a limited batch of its flagship Legend sedans equipped with cutting-edge autonomous technology.

That makes it the world's first automaker to sell vehicles equipped with certified 'level 3' autonomy.

Once activated, that allows drivers to watch movies or use screens while the car takes charge.

And the plan to sell 100 of the vehicles is a significant step towards a bigger goal.

Honda wants to be the first company to mass produce a car with level 3 ability.

The limited edition Legend will be sold in Japan from Friday March 5th, costing about $102,000.

Honda said the Legend's "Traffic Jam Pilot" system can control acceleration, braking and steering under certain conditions.

Adding that it can also alert the driver to respond when handing over the control, such as by vibrating the driver's seatbelt.

If the driver continues to be unresponsive, the system will assist with an emergency stop by decelerating and stopping the vehicle.

While alerting surrounding cars with hazard lights and the horn.

The autonomous race is on among global automakers and tech companies.

Both Alphabet's Waymo and Tesla have been investing heavily in self-driving tech.

Audi unveiled a level-3 car of its own in 2017, but regulatory hurdles prevented it being widely adopted.