When Mercedes-Benz announced it would be bringing the Sprinter 4X4 stateside next year, we got all kinds of giddy because, well, a lifted 4X4 van! Now, we have confirmation that Crosswind Assist, another piece of formerly Europe-only technology, will make the trip as well. On track to arrive for the 2015 model year, Crosswind Assist aims to help drivers maintain lane control in high-wind situations, where sudden gusts can exert course-changing forces on the Sprinter's sail-like side panels.
At speeds over 50 mph, a yaw sensor detects lateral wind forces, and then counter steers by applying selective lateral braking force, as dictated by the load-adaptive ESP (Electronic Stability Program). We tried an early version of Crosswind Assist during our drive of a Euro-market 2014 Sprinter last year and came away impressed, but noted the setup could use a little fine-tuning.
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Crosswind Assist will be standard on 2500 Sprinters, including the 4X4 model, which, due to its lifted ride height, will arguably benefit the most from the technology. We can only speak for ourselves, but it'll be nice to have the strong-wind monkey off our backs for good.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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