New Ford Mondeo adapts to the road ahead
Ford’s high-tech new Mondeo guarantees smooth and stress-free travel, no matter how heavy the traffic thanks to new Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) technology. ACC not only maintains a chosen speed, like conventional systems, it also maintains a pre-set distance from the vehicle in front.
Cruising speed is adjusted automatically to maintain a set time gap between the vehicle ahead – selected by the driver from five options – at any speed above 20mph. A default time gap of five seconds is the middle option.
Volker Weinhold, Ford active safety supervisor, explained its multiple safety-related advantages: “Collision mitigation is another benefit, with audible and visual alerts warning of situations that may lead to a collision.
“This collision mitigation feature is integrated into ACC, preparing the car's braking system for immediate action. Once a risk is detected, pressure within the braking system is increased for a quicker response if the driver presses the brake pedal – saving precious seconds in an emergency situation."
“The overriding benefit of ACC is driver comfort. In day-to-day driving, especially on motorways and busy high-speed roads, ACC eliminates the need for constant speed adjustment in changing traffic conditions.”
The system operates through two modes set by the driver. In distance-keeping mode, cruise control adapts to maintain the pre-set distance. Free cruising mode remains available for clear traffic-free roads.
As with standard cruise control, the driver retains overall control at all times and manual braking or gear changes automatically override ACC.
Source: Ford
