US
$ 8 billion Tenneco Inc. has published results of a survey showing that
consumers experience a feeling of increased comfort, control and safety when
driving cars equipped with intelligent (electronically-adjusted) suspension
systems versus the same cars equipped with conventional suspension systems.
Tenneco
is one of the world’s largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of clean
air and ride performance products and systems for automotive and commercial
vehicle original equipment markets and the aftermarket.
In
the survey, conducted for Tenneco by TNS Infratest, 94pc of sports utility
vehicle (SUV) drivers rated the overall driving experience with a semi-active
suspension system as very good or excellent, compared with a rating of 73pc for
passive suspension systems. In the compact car (CC) segment, 86pc of drivers
rated their overall driving experience as very good or excellent compared with
61pc for passive systems, while 88% of upper middle class (UMC) segment drivers
rated semi-active suspension systems as very good or excellent versus 77pc for
passive systems.
Tenneco’s
Monroe Intelligent Suspension technology continuously adjusts shock absorber
damping levels to road conditions and vehicle dynamics such as speed, turning,
cornering and other driver inputs to achieve an optimal balance between ride
comfort and vehicle handling. The system can be switched from standard to sport
or comfort mode at any time according to driver preferences without impacting
vehicle dynamics, according to a company report.
The
most significant improvement with intelligent suspension systems reported
across all segments was vehicle comfort with road holding, stability, agility,
control and safety all scoring strongly versus conventional systems. In
addition, the ability to change the suspension mode at will resulted in a
strong increase in scores for flexibility and driving fun versus conventional
systems.
“Our test results confirm that intelligent
suspension systems deliver benefits that consumers notice and prefer – notably
that there is no need to compromise between ride comfort and handling,” said
Sandro Paparelli, Vice President & General Manager, Tenneco Ride
Performance Europe. “Consumers clearly feel that intelligent systems reconcile
these differences to give drivers the pleasure of both, and they value the
ability to vary their ride at the touch of a button,” Paparelli added.
When
evaluating intelligent suspension systems, 39pc of compact car segment drivers
said it should be standard in vehicles in all segments from compact class and
above. In the SUV segment, 38pc of
drivers said it should be standard from middle-class vehicles and above. In
both segments, drivers were willing to pay a higher price for vehicles
incorporating intelligent suspension systems.
After
driving both vehicles with and without intelligent systems, the purchase
intention rate across all segments was 47pc.
“By
making vehicles capable of adapting to different environments, situations or
ride preferences, intelligent suspension systems provide consumers with
alternatives. They respond to today’s
consumers who value both comfort and performance, and the freedom to choose
their driving experience,” Paparelli concluded.
Source: Tenneco / picture for
representation purpose only