Hyundai Motor Co. unveiled an advanced safety feature Monday that will be incorporated in its upcoming luxury G70 model ahead of the sedan's planned launch in South Korea this week.

The car, part of the Genesis sub-brand, is a midsize sedan that will go on sale in its home market Friday. It will be exported to Europe this year and the United States next year.

The G70 can detect a bicycle in front of it and automatically bring the vehicle to a halt if the driver fails to brake, the carmaker said in a statement.

The existing Genesis sedans -- the large G80 sedan and the flagship G90 (or EQ900) sedan -- are equipped with a forward collision-avoidance assist system that can only detect pedestrians and other vehicles.
 

The Korean luxury carmaker said it has improved its "sensor fusion" technology to detect a person on a fast-moving bicycle as well as people and vehicles.

The G70 comes in three versions -- the 2.0 gasoline turbo, the 2.2 diesel and the top-of-the-line 3.3 petrol turbo. The carmaker sees the BMW 3 series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-class as the G70's nearest rivals. 

The three models are all equipped with nine air bags, advanced driver-assistance systems and other cutting-edge safety features. The 3.3 turbo model can do zero to 100 kph in 4.7 seconds, faster than Kia's Stinger sports car, which boasts a zero to 100 kph of 4.9 seconds.

The G70 is priced at between 38 million won (US$34,000) and 45 million won. (Yonhap)