Yusuke Goto would have crashed his Toyota Crown five years ago if the premium sedan hadn't detected the 45-year-old was veering off and righted the steering wheel. So when he found similar features in the cheaper Nissan Serena minivan, it was an easy choice.

"Earlier you could only find such features in premium sedans but I have a big family and I want to make sure they are safe when we drive for a weekend getaway," Goto said on a recent visit to a Nissan showroom in Tokyo with his family. "I've become hugely interested in autonomous driving after that experience."

At ¥3 million ($27,400), Nissan Motor Co.'s Serena minivan was the first model in Japan in its price bracket that offers what's known in the industry as "level 2" autonomous driving features, similar to what Tesla offers with its Autopilot function in the $80,000 Model S. A car with level 2 functionality can control steering and speed simultaneously without intervention for a short period, allowing the driver to take his hands off the wheel and foot off pedal at the same time.