Freelander - Hill Descent Control
Hill Descent Control: Agile Handling Off-Road
Engineered with Freelander's new breed of customer in mind, Hill Descent Control is a brilliant technical solution which obviates the need for a dual ratio gearbox, and makes no additional demands on the driver. HDC is standard on all the latest Freelanders.
The most challenging aspect of driving off-road is making a steep decent on difficult terrain.
Within the limits of adhesion, HDC provides a well-controlled decent ability without the need for a low range gear or use of the brakes. Using the traction control, it is designed to maintain a target descent speed irrespective of steepness, giving control during steep, off-road slopes when overrun braking is insufficient to maintain a comfortable driving speed.
How it works
The HDC system is selectable by the driver. To protect the brakes from abuse, it will only operate whilst the vehicle is in First or Reverse gear, below 50kph
Because the ABS can detect rates of deceleration and acceleration for each wheel, it can also detect when one or both of the rear wheels is/are accelerating too fast, and trying to overtake the front.
Instantly the ABS senses that loss of control is imminent, it pulses the brakes to slow the wheel/s allowing the driver to control the system target speed using only the throttle pedal, regardless of how steep the descent is, within the limits of adhesion.
If adhesion is insufficient in one or more wheels, the system automatically activates the ABS to maintain as much control as possible. Application of the brakes overrides the HDC system at any time, allowing the vehicle to be brought to a halt if required.
The Benefits
- Automatic control of speed on steep descents using only the throttle pedal; safety and comfort.
