Science fiction was in charge of dreaming cars as something more than a means of transport. For example, the series "The Fantastic Auto" marveled the young people of the '80s with KITT, a vehicle capable of interacting with its owner.
Without haste but without pause, the different innovations have been transforming such developments into reality. While technological and automotive firms advance with autonomous cars in several countries, in Argentina there are already some models that incorporate certain "smart" characteristics and are another argument of the automotive companies to convince users to renew their car in times of crisis.
These cars have systems are included under the acronym ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, according to its acronym in English), which means Advanced System of Assistance to Driving. These tools alert the driver to any situation that could put his life at risk, with calls for attention that range from lights that light up on the dashboard to sound alerts.
In most cases, they are based on sensors distributed in the vehicle, similar to those used in the development of autonomous cars.
In this way, the incorporation of ADAS in massive models - already sold in Argentina - opens the possibility for many customers to enjoy greater safety and comfort.For the terminals, it is a new differential that they offer to sell more in a market that suffers the impact of devaluation and inflation, which raised prices of 0Km close to 70% in a year and with registrations that plummeted 50% year-on-year .How do they work
For those who are in the process of buying a 0km, attendees who are part of the ADAS are several and differ according to the automotive. However, they all have aspects in common.
"You get into the car, you program the speed with the peace of mind that the vehicle brakes only if there is another one nearby, if you get distracted and move out of the lane, an alarm is activated so you can take it back. the side mirror if a driver wants to pass you on the right side or is very close to the left, "summarizes an expert at iProUP.
But that is not all. The specialist adds: "A cup of coffee appears on the board if you make several untidy maneuvers or take many hours driving, indicating that it is time for a break." If you have to park, do it without having to touch the steering wheel, just stopping parallel to the empty space, and if a tire fails, it warns you in advance that it is deflating. "In short, the car takes care of everything and keeps the driver alert in every movement. A system of this type consists of the following components:
1.- Adaptive cruise control: regulates the speed of the car as indicated by the driver, but also brakes only if it approaches too close to a vehicle in front.
2.- Active Safety Brake and Collision Alert: it is an automatic emergency braking system to reduce the speed of impact or avoid a frontal crash if the user can not react.
3.- Alert to the involuntary lane change: it uses a camera to recognize the lines of the route and detects the involuntary crossing. If that happens, the driver is alerted by sound signals so he can return to the address.
4.- Alert to the lack of attention of the driver: it evaluates if the person who drives is attentive, identifying trajectory changes. If the car moves a lot, it interprets that there is fatigue or distraction on the part of the driver. Then, he alerts him with messages like "Stay tuned".
5.- Rest indicator: if a driver drives more than two hours at a speed higher than 70 km / h, a cup of coffee appears on the board recommending a break. It is understood that it is a long time to continue circulating without a break.6.- Fog lights with "corner light": they are static curve lights that provide an additional beam to illuminate the interior of the curves, improve visibility and safety at the corners and splices.
7.- Start-up assistance on slopes: it keeps the car braking for two seconds, while accelerating after standing on a slope.
8.- Control grip: improves the adherence of the vehicle according to the terrain: snow, mud, gravel or water. It is available in some models of Citroën and Peugeot, for example.
9.- Hands-free access and keyless start: detects the key when the person approaches the car and opens it. It also enables certain vehicle functions.
10.- Limiter and speed regulator: it allows to reduce the speed or, if the cruise function is not used, fix it so that the driver does not get distracted and exceeds the allowed limit.
11.- Rear view camera: activated by hooking the reverse and allows a great view that does not allow to obtain the mirrors.
12.- Tire inflation detector: informs if any of the four wheels does not have the correct pressure.What are the 0km offered by ADASHaving all these tools not only improves driving comfort, but also safety. And when the driver gets used to using them, it is difficult to be able to do without them.
One of the most innovative in the matter is the Citroën C4 Cactus that arrived in the country in 2018. This SUV produced in Brazil became the most complete of the B segment, with 12 ADAS capable of alerting the driver at times of risk.
That is, it has all the features listed in the previous section, so it is a real milestone in the small SUV segment. For the company, it is a before and after in its future developments.
"This SUV indicates the direction of Citroën worldwide, is the most faithful reflection of the new promise Be different, Feel Good, combined with the breakthrough legacy that always highlighted Citroën within the industry", explains Thomas Burguete, Marketing Manager Strategic of Citroën Argentina.
"Before starting in Brazil, several tests were carried out, in which all the necessary adjustments were made to have the best vehicle," he adds.
Pablo Averame, Vice President of Product, Marketing, Mobility and Connected Service Latin America, says to iProUP: "To manufacture the new Cactus, an important investment was made in the Porto Real plant, assigning 153 million euros that not only serve for this model but also for those that are already manufactured, with the aim of providing quality, reducing costs and creating value in all vehicles ".Another automaker that marked a before and after for safety systems is Ford, with the Ranger. The company was the first to implement an adaptive cruise control, lane change warning and fatigue, among others, in a utility.
Today, it is the most technological pick-up thanks to the ADAS that it incorporates, elements that are also in vehicles such as Kuga and Mondeo, the SUV and the "top" sedan in the house. But the real difference is that I incorporate a product that was born for work.
Another of the automakers that incorporated a complete system of assistance to driving is Peugeot, especially in the SUV 3008 and 5008.
Both vehicles include all the necessary tools to stay alert during a trip, with sensors that warn of road hazards, emergency braking and lane diversion, among others.
Also in this case marked a point of inflection the French Lion, because these vehicles are not only safer but they also inaugurate a design line that will maintain the 2008, the 208 and all the products of the firm.
Finally, one of the most innovative in terms of new technologies at the service of driving is Chevrolet, with OnStar. This system, which works through the telephone service available in the same vehicle, has several virtues: one of them is that it allows sending an SOS alert in case of risk, with which a person that they are stealing or having a problem with the vehicle, it will be located immediately.
In fact, all the thefts that occurred from vehicles with OnStar were recovered. Another important aspect is that this platform is available throughout the automotive portfolio: from basic models to premium models.
This year the terminal will become the first to offer a car with Internet, since the Cruze, manufactured in the santafecina plant of Alvear, will have its first restyling in the second semester and will incorporate the connection to the network from the same vehicle.In addition to OnStar, some Chevrolet launches also made a leap in safety, as is the case with Equinox.
From the conception of the design of this SUV, Chevrolet thought about giving it all the ingredients so that it stands out in terms of its structure and safety as well as its sophistication, technology and efficiency ", commented Rodrigo Fioco, Director of Product Marketing at GM Mercosur, to iProUP.
The new SUV has front, side and curtain airbags for both seats, but the premier version also includes additional 360 ° safety equipment, including a front-end collision alert with distance sensor and automatic emergency braking (AEB) at low speed. and automatic braking system by pedestrian crossing.To this, it adds the system of maintenance of driving in the lane and alerts of crossing of rear traffic, blind spots on the side and forgetting people or objects in the back seat.The cheapest and complete
In addition to the most equipped proposals on the market, which generally belong to the segment of medium or large vehicles, there are four products that stand out among the compact for their level of safety and technology, achieving the best price-product ratio:The Renault Kwid is the most accessible small car with more airbags, since it is the only one of its segment that has four series, when the legislation calls for two.
He is the replacement of the Clio Mio and, as it was a very criticized car for his failures in security, he focused especially on this detail to be welcomed to the market.
Today it occupies the eighth position in sales in the local market and its price starts at 455,600 pesos.
Another of the most complete is the Ford Ka. In fact, he was the winner of the safest car in the market in its category according to CESVI.
It has six airbags, from side and curtain extra, to protect all occupants.
Likewise, it includes Traction Control (TC) and Start Assist in Slope (HLA), functions usually present in vehicles of higher segments, and Electronic Stability Control (ESP).Today it manages to position itself as one of the "top 3" in patenting. Its price starts at $ 483,000 according to ACARA.
Another leader in sales and more economical is Toyota Etios, which has an advantage that the Japanese implemented to all their cars: improve safety with ESP as standard. This measure was to be implemented this year as mandatory, but was eventually postponed.
As a result, many manufacturers offer it as an additional, which has been widely criticized. In this case, from the base Etios is already available from 511,000 pesos
Finally, Volkswagen offers the Virtus, another car with a good price-quality combination that includes four airbags in all versions.
"The combination of low weight and high safety is possible with innovative technologies, lightweight materials and engine downsizing More than 50% of the body structure of the Virtus is made up of special steels, high and ultra-high strength and formed in hot ", explains Martín Sorrondegui, sales manager of VW, to iProUP.The value of the German sedan starts at 753,000 pesos.
This change in security assistants that began to be introduced last year in Argentina, with the models that became pioneers in driving assistance, shows that the driver has more elements and should be more aware of the risks en route.
"A few years ago, the customer did not ask what the car offered in the matter, but today he is worried, and nobody buys a car without ESP," they explained at a Toyota dealership.Although the market is in crisis and expectations are bad, the good thing is that the terminals are not shrinking in quality to lower prices and sell more, but bet on improving their products to be, in addition to tempting, safe.