Subaru’s EyeSight technology has been a welcome blessing for owners thanks to its suite of safety features and nifty camera system (my wife can vouch for its credentials as a current Subaru owner. However, while the system has made a splash in vehicles with the CVT, other models that come equipped with manual transmissions were forced to miss out on the fun. That’s now changing, with the company confirming that it’s figured out how to make the system finally work with three-pedal commuting.
Manual Friendly EyeSight To Be Japan Market Exclusive…. For Now
Before we move any further, we might as well address the elephant in the room, and that’s by revealing that the system isn’t coming to the U.S. market right away. Instead, the system will only be available in Japan and will also be limited to manual versions of the 2023 Subaru BRZ. At first glance, there’s not much that makes this version of the system different from the CVT version, with many of the same features also being carried over.
The main difference (and also the major hurdle Subaru had to clear) was how the system did full braking when the Automatic Emergency Braking feature is activated. In a manual transmission, the engine will sputter and stall if the driver doesn’t select neutral first. While Subaru didn’t reveal exactly how it overcame this obstacle, we suspect that the company possibly used a mixture of software and mechanical components with the system, somehow forcing a shift into neutral to avoid engine stalling.
While the Japanese market still has strong manual sales, the tweaked Eyesight’s applications here in the U.S. will be more limited. In our market, the Crosstrek and the Impreza switched to CVT only and pitched their manuals, with the BRZ and the WRX being the only two models left that still offer one. As a result, Subaru will have to decide whether it would make sense profit-wise to bring this modification to our shores. For now, the 2023 model has EyeSight but only in Limited guise with the automatic transmission.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.