GWM continues ADAS refinement for Australia

GWM says it is continuing to tune and refine its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), following criticisms of the safety technology.

Along with a suite of other features, such as cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and blind-spot detection, GWM’s ADAS is also designed to ensure a vehicle maintains its lane and doesn’t leave the roadway – though it has been panned for being overbearing in recent generations.

Former Holden vehicle dynamics engineer Rob Trubiani – who is now in charge of tuning GWM models for Australian conditions – says ADAS has been a key part of recent development work.

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GWM engineers from the company’s head office in China were recently in Australia for the development of the new Cannon Alpha dual-cab ute and Tank 500 large SUV – both of which will soon receive a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine – with a focus on ride, handling, transmission, and throttle mapping.

However, Mr Trubiani says ADAS was part of that development work, with the company adding a more traditional cruise control feature, “because lots of people just like the standard cruise”, he explained.

The Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 previously offered adaptive cruise control, which maintains a speed set by the driver, while also allowing the vehicle to slow down based on traffic ahead.

The models also offer a higher level, known as intelligent cruise control, which adds lane-keep assist, allowing the vehicle to follow the road under supervision of the driver.

The company says the new 3.0-litre Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 models will be crucial for GWM becoming a top-five Australian brand.