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Ford Debuts ‘Curve Control’ in New Explorer
Ford Motor Co. will introduce a new stability control system on the 2011 Ford Explorer that the company said will help drivers maintain control of a vehicle that enters a turn at too high a speed.
The technology, which the company calls “Curve Control,” slows down the vehicle when it senses a driver is entering a curve too quickly for conditions. The system, which Ford said can slow the vehicle by up to 10 mph in about one second, reduces engine torque and can apply the brakes at all four wheels to slow a vehicle’s progress.
The patent-pending setup, which Ford said will work on dry or wet pavement, measures how quickly a vehicle is turning and compares that with how quickly the driver is trying to turn. The system will intervene when it detects that the vehicle is not turning as much as the driver is steering, Ford said.
The system will come as standard equipment on 2011 Explorer models, which go into production later this year, and will be available in 90 percent of Ford’s North American crossovers, sport utilities, trucks and vans by 2015, the company said.