A major German vehicle maker plans to deploy the new radar on a D-segment model next spring, according to TRW Autocruise managing director Peter Austen

Austen says information from the 77 GHz radar is analyzed by electronics in the ACC unit. The AC20 acts as a normal cruise control, holding the vehicle at a set speed, until a slower vehicle appears in front, “then it automatically brakes or accelerates to keep a driver-selected gap – or constant time interval – behind the slower vehicle,” he says.

While the predecessor was capable of slowing to approximately 30 km/h, the new version can bring the vehicle to a full stop. The radar and new transceiver module captures data for an additional 50 meters over the previous system--extending its range to 200 meters.

“With the cost reduction we are now able to propose, we've seen significant interest from a number of vehicle manufacturers, especially within the D-segment," Austen notes.