Improved ESP

The task of the stabilization system is - to put it simply - to prevent skidding. The latest innovation with ESP is the steering impulse.

ESP with steering wheel impulse intervenes when it gets slippery. The impulse is a short "jerk" of the steering wheel, for which the electromechanical power steering system cooperates with the electronic stabilization program. This jerk makes it the driver intuitively “hits” the steering wheel in the opposite direction. In precisely defined situations: when braking with full force on the road with different grip surfaces (e.g. wet leaves or snow on the right side, dry on the left side), the braking distance is shortened by up to 10%. However, for this the car needs an electronically controlled steering system.

Normally, in similar situations, ESP prevents skid by adjusting the action of the brakes to the wheel with less grip. Braking is therefore not as effective as on dry roads. If one wheel was braked too hard, the car would go off track without countering the steering wheel. With the new ESP, it sends an impulse to the steering wheel after recognizing which direction the driver needs to kick in to be able to brake the car optimally without skidding.