Motor Authority - blog Tag: Stability

Beating Toyota and Honda at their own game is no easy thing, but Ford's done it with the Escape, taking top rankings in safety and fuel efficiency against the RAV-4 and CR-V. For 2010, Ford's taking steps to help expand that lead by adding five new safety features to the Escape.

Keeping teens from running rampant in borrowed family vehicles is handled by Ford's controversial new MyKey technology, which allows parents to set limits on how the car can be driven. Parking becomes a breeze for teens and adults alike with the Active Park Assist, which finds a parking spot, steers into it and parks for you - all you control is the brake and the... Beating Toyota and Honda at their own game is no easy thing, but Ford's done it with the Escape, taking top rankings in safety and fuel efficiency against the RAV-4 and CR-V. For 2010, Ford's taking steps to help expand that lead by adding five new safety features to the Escape. Keeping teens from running rampant in borrowed family vehicles is handled by Ford's controversial new MyKey technology, which allows parents to set limits on how the car can be driven. Parking becomes a breeze for teens and adults alike with the Active Park Assist, which finds a parking spot, steers into it and parks for you - all you control is the brake and the gas pedal. Coupled with Integrated Spotter Mirrors (blind spot mirrors) and an optional Rear View Camera System, visibility around the mid-size SUV will be greatly enhanced, allowing safer driving no matter who's behind the wheel. Add in Ford's SYNC with real-time traffic, directions and information and problems can be spotted in advance and avoided. Those five systems leverage a handful of existing technologies to enhance the already 5-star safety of the Escape, and is an unusual application of new technology to a carryover model - the rest of the vehicle, including trim, interior, exterior and powertrain choices are all unchanged from the 2009 model year. Safety features that carry forward include traction and roll stability control, a system of side curtain airbags for rollover protection, plus Ford's Personal Safety System and tire pressure monitoring.2010 Ford Escape Read More

Starting this year, all new cars assessed under the Euro NCAP scheme will have to be fitted with some form of electronic stability control (ESC) in order to gain a rating of five stars. This puts the Euro NCAP scheme at the forefront of crash testing, though some other regions are also making advances in the science of safety. Now the first six cars tested under the new standards have been revealed, along with their safety ratings.

The top scorers under the new system are the Mazda 6, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Avensis and Toyota iQ, each earning a five-star score. Four-star cars include the Citroen C3 Picasso and the Subaru Impreza. The... Starting this year, all new cars assessed under the Euro NCAP scheme will have to be fitted with some form of electronic stability control (ESC) in order to gain a rating of five stars. This puts the Euro NCAP scheme at the forefront of crash testing, though some other regions are also making advances in the science of safety. Now the first six cars tested under the new standards have been revealed, along with their safety ratings. The top scorers under the new system are the Mazda 6, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Avensis and Toyota iQ, each earning a five-star score. Four-star cars include the Citroen C3 Picasso and the Subaru Impreza. The difference between the two rally-bred cars is sure to spark an endless series of arm-waving fan-boy disputes, though the rest of the results are about as expected. The Avensis and iQ, though small, earned high marks, proving that the new system favors features and equipment as much as sheer structural size, and also showing that it doesn't take a lot of metal to make a safe car. The new overall Euro NCAP rating is composed from scores achieved in four areas of assessment Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Pedestrian Protection and a new area: Safety Assist. Safety Assist will allow Euro NCAP to consider driver assistance systems and active safety technologies, which play an increasingly important role in accident avoidance and injury mitigation. U.S. testing, on the other hand, is often deemed somewhat behind the times. Both Euro NCAP and Australia's ANCAP testing procedures have done away with the full-width frontal impact test in favor of the offset frontal impact. Both have also added a 'pole test', which impacts the car from the side with a steel pole. In Australia, the bonus points scored by cars that fare will in this test are necessary to score five stars. A failure results in a maximum possible of four stars. The NHTSA requires neither a unique test nor ESC, relying only on the crash data itself to justify its star ratings. For a five-star NHTSA rating, the occupants must be exposed to a 10% or less chance of serious bodily injury. Unlike the NHTSA, the IIHS performs offset impact testing, and the NHTSA recommends drivers compare both ratings to get a feel for the overall safety picture of their vehicle. Beside adding the ESC requirement and testing seats for protection against whiplash and rear-impact collisions, the new Euro NCAP scheme does not otherwise modify the testing or scoring procedure - vehicles will still need to to well in all areas of the assessment to achieve a top result. That means that budget manufacturers - especially in the small-car market where safety is often a primary concern - will have to offer ESC in addition to a host of standard safety features, potentially raising prices for some models. “There is no doubt that this new overall rating will provide clear challenges to industry, but at the same time it will create opportunities for manufacturers to be rewarded for their dedication to safety. Euro NCAP needs to continually evolve with innovation and ensure that consumers can be confident that the rating remains updated and a true reflection of the safety performance of their vehicles,” said Dr. Michiel Van Ratingen, Secretary-General of Euro NCAP.European 2009 Mazda62010 Toyota iQ minicar Read More

In the middle of last year, Ford decided to extend production of the Ranger beyond its expected 2009 sunset to help meet fuel efficiency targets. This year, the Ranger gets a range of upgrades to help it carry on until a new model can take its place around 2011.

The upgrades focus maintaining the Ranger's strong suit (efficiency) and shoring up its weakness (safety). Safety is enhanced with a new complement of standard airbags, including combination side airbags that cover head and chest protection. A number of electronic safety aids are added as well, including AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control.

“The 2010 Ranger’s Roll... In the middle of last year, Ford decided to extend production of the Ranger beyond its expected 2009 sunset to help meet fuel efficiency targets. This year, the Ranger gets a range of upgrades to help it carry on until a new model can take its place around 2011. The upgrades focus maintaining the Ranger's strong suit (efficiency) and shoring up its weakness (safety). Safety is enhanced with a new complement of standard airbags, including combination side airbags that cover head and chest protection. A number of electronic safety aids are added as well, including AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control. “The 2010 Ranger’s Roll Stability Control and combination side air bag technologies will help occupants stay out of harm’s way,” said Steve Kozak, chief engineer of safety systems, Ford Motor Company. “The Ranger has been America’s most fuel-efficient pickup, and now it features a combination of safety features not offered in any other small pickup.” Other passive safety systems, such as tire pressure monitoring, and anti-theft systems, help enhance the Ranger's feature list. With its 2.3L inline-four rated at 21mpg city and 26mpg highway, the Ranger is ass efficient as most mid-size sedans, yet it offers the functionality of the pickup - a perfect compromise for many. Whether these relatively minor updates will be enough to entice buyers to continue choosing the Ranger until 2011 or not, they are likely to help keep the truck positioned well as a value proposition. Read More

Building a vehicle that can react to the most minute changes in grip and stability, compensate for them and alert the driver of the situation has become almost the standard of the industry. Carmakers are now looking for ways to push beyond the simple traction control/stability control paradigm and find new technologies to improve safety even further. Nissan things it has one in its slip-hazard alert system.

Enhancing the car's on-board electronics and driver aids with information about the road, its statistical likelihood for accidents and slippery conditions at certain points, plus a 'road-cam' service that offers visual imagery of the... Building a vehicle that can react to the most minute changes in grip and stability, compensate for them and alert the driver of the situation has become almost the standard of the industry. Carmakers are now looking for ways to push beyond the simple traction control/stability control paradigm and find new technologies to improve safety even further. Nissan things it has one in its slip-hazard alert system. Enhancing the car's on-board electronics and driver aids with information about the road, its statistical likelihood for accidents and slippery conditions at certain points, plus a 'road-cam' service that offers visual imagery of the road ahead - for instance, a mountain pass. By combining statistical data, near-real-time imagery and information transmitted from recent CARWINGS-equipped vehicles, such as the Nissan Teana, that passed over that area, the system can plot out a series of warnings and alerts about potentially slippery areas. The CARWINGS telematics system relies on communication from individual cars back to a central system via wireless transmission. That information, including ABS/ESP activation, time and location, is then compiled by the slip hazard alert system, and if enough vehicles appear to be slipping and sliding at the same point, it can create an alert based on that data. The slip alert system began actual testing in November 2007 on a 100-vehicle test fleet in Sapporo, Japan. The trial showed that by alerting drivers to the potential hazard, safety could be enhanced by slowing the pace of travel, and making driver's more vigilant and aware of their surroundings. There was even some evidence that the system's presence may have influenced drivers to continue their safe-driving tactics even in areas where the system hadn't alerted to a slip hazard. At present, the system is limited to CARWINGS customers in Japan, but with the proper infrastructure a similar system could be deployed anywhere in the world. The trials of the new system with the road-cam functionality will begin in November. Nissan's focus on advanced driving technology has been strong of late. Just a few weeks ago the company revealed a prototype collision-avoidance assistance system that is modeled on the principles bees use to navigate their complex environments. Read More