25 August 2011
Parallel parking is painful – and alliteration doesn’t help the matter. Ford, however, is doing something about it, with a number of smart driver assistance features it has introduced to its small car range.
Active Park Assist uses ultrasonic sensors to scan for large gaps between parked cars and automatically steers the car into parallel parking spaces. Once a suitable gap has been identified, the driver is informed and presented with a set of parking instructions in the console display. The driver controls the acceleration and brake while the system steers the wheel. A perfect partnership.
Adaptive Cruise Control is for those drivers whose stress levels hit the (car) roof once they find themselves on a freeway. The system detects when a vehicle in front is slowing down or is too close and decelerates automatically to maintain the preset distance. Once the road is clear again, it accelerates back to the chosen cruising speed.
The Forward Alert feature warns the driver if there’s risk of collision with the car in front. The alert is a “chime” – which is a charming addition.
The Adjustable Speed Limiting Device (ASLD) allows you to set your own personal speed limit so when road times get tough, you can concentrate on driving and not worry about accidentally going too fast.
Active Park Assist is only available on Titanium models. Adaptive Cruise Control is only available on Titanium models as part of the optional Sports Executive Pack. Cruise control with ASLD will be fitted as standard equipment on all mid- and high-series Focus models – Trend, Sport and Titanium.