Braking and stability systems

Advanced active safety systems

We're constantly developing new technologies to help keep your car safe and smooth on the road.¹

Our Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) offers a comfortable ride, however bumpy the surface as well as letting you choose the style of drive you want. The advanced Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) detects critical situations and acts fast to stop skidding before it begins, while the anti-lock braking system (ABS) stops wheels locking. Our new XDS technology lets you grip the road when cornering fast, improving responses for an even safer drive.

Automatic Post-Collision Braking System

Supported by the airbag sensors, the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System automatically initiates braking after the vehicle suffers a collision, and brakes for as long as necessary to reduce the speed of the vehicle to 6mph in order to prevent or minimise the severity of subsequent collisions. Standard on all Golf models.

Pre-Crash

Pre-Crash is a proactive passenger safety system that identifies the possibility of an accident and automatically closes the electronic windows and optional panoramic sunroof. It also tensions the front seat belts as a precautionary measure. Combined with standard Volkswagen crumple zones, airbags and Isofix child seat fixings, our cars are built to offer maximum protection in the event of an accident.

Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC)

Choose the style of drive you want – at the touch of a button. Our Dynamic Chassis Control offers you a way to adapt your suspension to the road.

This innovative system ensures your car's suspension is constantly adapting to suit the road and driving conditions. What's more, you can change the ride setting to suit your mood - at the touch of a button in the centre console. Choose from three modes - Normal, Sport and Comfort - to either firm up or soften the ride and change the characteristics of the power steering.

The Sport mode, for example, stiffens the suspension system and provides greater feedback and steering responsiveness. The result is like driving an agile sports car. So whether you feel like a sharper, sportier drive or just want to settle back and enjoy a relaxed journey, it's up to you.

How it works

The intelligent Dynamic Chassis Control system features electrically regulated dampers and steering. Each individual shock absorber is connected to a control device which calculates the best setting for each wheel. It does this via the sensor data and other information it receives from the travelling car - steering, brakes and driving assist systems. This allows the system to react within milliseconds to bumps in the road, changing lanes or bendy roads.

XDS

Lets you enjoy sporty driving safely. Our new XDS technology lets you grip the road when cornering fast. It improves responses to ensure an even safer drive.

XDS is an advanced electronic differential lock, linked to a sophisticated Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) system. We designed it to maximise road holding and improve responses, especially when cornering.

How it works

In moments of fast cornering XDS gives out exactly the right amount of power, providing pressure on the inside wheel to prevent wheel spinning. The result is better traction and a reduction of any tendency to under steer.

You'll experience a more agile, precise and calm driving performance with better traction out of bends. In other words, you can enjoy sporty driving in your Volkswagen, knowing you have a reassuringly higher level of safety.

Electronic Stabilisation Control (ESC)

Anti-skidding technology to bring your car back under control. Our advanced Electronic Stabilisation Control detects critical situations to stop skidding before it begins.

ESC predicts what your car is about to do. It uses sensors to monitor the progress of your wheels and the moment they start to slip, the anti-skidding technology takes over by:

Applying the brakes to one or more wheels
Reducing engine power if necessary
This fast, effective reaction stops skidding before it begins.

How it works

ESC links to your car's electronic systems, such as the anti-lock brakes (ABS) and engine braking control (EBC). It has sensors on the wheels and steering wheel, plus a yaw movement sensor.

The anti-skidding technology also uses the electronic differential lock (EDL) and traction control to help correct over steer, under steer and loss of stability. The result is the best possible traction when driving round bends.

ESC monitors your car at all times. As soon as something unusual happens - if a wheel loses grip, for example, or the car starts to slip, it helps regain control by applying the brakes to each or all of the wheels, and cutting engine power.

Sports ESC

Sports ESC lets you have a bit more fun than with standard ESC, giving you more control of your car and allowing a more sporty driving style before intervening.

Trailer stabilisation

The latest generation of ESC also offers trailer stabilisation. If it detects your trailer is starting to yaw, the anti-skidding technology automatically reduces engine power and applies the brakes to the right wheels dynamically, in phase with the yawing. This counteracts the snaking motion and stabilises the car and trailer. When everything is stable again the brakes and engine power return to normal control. The automatic braking process also turns on the brake lights to warn other drivers, even if the driver is not touching the brake pedal.

Only when used with factory fit or approved accessory tow bars.

ABS

Stops wheels locking to prevent skidding. All Volkswagens are fitted with an anti-lock braking systems to stop you losing control of your car and help prevent accidents.

Skidding is one of the major causes of accidents. It tends to happen in an emergency when the driver brakes heavily on a slippery road surface or in a bid to avoid an obstacle. The wheels lock and the car skids out of control. But our anti-lock braking system stops skids by giving you more control of the wheel while braking hard. That means you can stop, or steer round an obstacle.

In the past, the only way to stop wheels locking and avoid skidding was to 'cadence brake'- applying and releasing the brake quickly to prevent prolonged wheel lock and maintain control of the car.

Thanks to ABS, we can now brake far more safely, making cadence braking unnecessary. Using advanced electronics, ABS detects when a wheel is about to lock - and automatically releases and reapplies the brakes to prevent a skid.

With ordinary brakes, if the front wheels lock, they will not follow the steered path, so no matter how hard you turn your steering wheel, nothing happens. That's when you lose control of your car. But ABS prevents the wheels from locking, so you can steer to safety.

How it works

The ABS control unit uses wheel speed sensors to monitor the turning speed of each wheel. If it detects a wheel is about to lock, a solenoid valve in the system's central control element reduces the brake pressure at the wheel until it starts to turn freely again. Pressure is then increased to the safe threshold again - with the process repeated several times per second. So your car slows down, stays stable and can still be steered.

Brake Assist

The most common cause of a rear-end collision is that, although some drivers react quickly, they don't press the brake pedal down hard enough. As a result, the car is not slowed as much as it could be and the risk of an accident increases. Our brake assist system helps the driver by increasing braking power and reducing stopping distance considerably.

The system recognises you want to make an emergency stop by how fast you press the brake pedal down. It increases braking pressure hydraulically via the ABS/ESP unit. When you lift your foot off the brake, the system reduces pressure. So, although the system is working hard to keep you safe and avoid an accident, you'll hardly notice it happening.

City Emergency Braking

Innovative collision avoiding technology. The City Emergency Braking system is an innovative collision avoiding technology.

Automatically activated at speeds under 18mph, it uses a laser sensor to detect the risk of an impending collision and automatically primes the brakes to make them more sensitive.

If the driver does not brake and a collision is imminent then the system applies them automatically.

Depending on speed and situation, City Emergency Braking can reduce accident severity and even avoid a crash

Euro NCAP

Your protection is a priority for us, so we welcome independent crash tests to be carried out on our cars.

Tyre pressure and flat tyre sensors

We've got lots of ways to help you keep driving safely.