Nissan Safety: A Quick Look at the New Chassis Control

Nov 25, 2019

Nissan Chassis Control

The vehicle’s chassis is comprised of a variety of systems, including the suspension, steering and braking. Nissan has long been an innovator in chassis design, and that’s a tradition that continues with the introduction of the New Chassis Control system.

The chassis controls are the technologies that regulate the chassis systems, and Nissan has moved this technology forward greatly with this introduction. The Chassis Control – available on a variety of new Nissan vehicles – features three state-of-the-art technologies: Intelligent Ride Control, Intelligent Engine Brake, and Intelligent Trace Control. The three technologies offer drivers a range of benefits, from more confident traction and handling, to improved safety.

To help you understand the all the New Chassis Control has to offer, Naples Nissan wanted to highlight each of these new technologies, their benefits and how they work.

Intelligent Ride Control

Ride Control monitors and moderates the vehicle’s engine and brakes to counteract the pitching motion caused bumps in the road. Simply put, when you hit a bump in the road, Intelligent Ride Control applies the brakes and optimizes engine outputs to reduce the feeling of the bump in the cockpit.

How it Works: When you accelerate, the front of the vehicle rises up slightly, and conversely, the nose lowers when you tap the brakes. Intelligent Ride Control mimics this phenomenon to more effectively absorb the bump.

The braking is only slight, though, and does not slow the vehicle. Additionally, the chassis was also fitted with shock absorbers designed to dampen the pitching motion. Ultimately, Ride Control provides a smoother, more comfortable ride.

Intelligent Engine Brake

Intelligent Engine Brake monitors and regulates braking and offers two unique benefits for drivers: Improved cornering and more confident braking. This system was designed to reduce the burden on the driver for braking by applying small amount of braking power to reduce vehicle speed. For example, if you were traveling at fast speeds, you might have to push the brake pedal to the floor to stop quickly. With Intelligent Engine Brake, the system helps deliver braking output to more smoothly slow the vehicle.

How It Works: Around corners and when stopping, the brakes must be applied. Intelligent Engine Brake monitors speed, steering and braking, and quickly optimizes the level of braking to reduce stopping time and effort required. When braking, the Continuously Variable Transmission’s gear ratio is adjusted autonomously, and when cornering, the system estimates the vehicle’s trajectory and determines a target speed.

Intelligent Trace Control

Finally, the Intelligent Trace Control system monitors cornering, and delivers braking to each wheel independently. In turn, the vehicle can more closely follow the intended driving trajectory. For example, a driver might accelerate entering a curve too quickly, which pushes the vehicle to the outside. Intelligent Trace Control would autonomously apply the brakes to the inside two wheels, enabling the driver to more accurately follow the curve.

How It Works: Intelligent Trace Control monitors a variety of information including steering, wheel speed, yaw rate and centripetal force. Using this data, Intelligent Trace Control can determine when the vehicle is veering off the cornering path. As a result, the system applies gentle braking to individual wheels, enabling the driver to stay on course. Intelligent Trace Control is only activated when the vehicle is veering off course, based on the steering inputs.

Want to learn more about the New Chassis Control? Schedule a test drive at Naples Nissan today, and experience the Nissan chassis from behind the wheel. Schedule online or visit our Naples location today.