Wet leaves on the road, freezing conditions, abrupt braking on an unstable surface … there are many ways for a vehicle to lose its footing. That's why the Viano enhances driver safety with the latest generation of the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®).

Sensors detect specific risk situations (e.g. a wheel that is spinning or a loss of ground contact) and employ active engine management and electronic brake force distribution (EBD) to help the driver to brake safely and stabilise the vehicle. ESP® significantly enhances stability and tractive power in critical situations.

The optional ESP® trailer stabilisation increases driving safety for trailer towing by applying targeted braking to the front wheels of the towing vehicle and reducing the engine torque if the trailer begins swinging back and forth. This helps stabilise the car/trailer combination. If the system must engage several times in a row, the brake actuation continually becomes stronger, which then significantly reduces the vehicle speed.

Fractions of a second – and every move you make – can make a crucial difference in critical driving situations.

The anti-lock braking system (ABS) prevents the wheels from locking during braking. Speed sensors continuously monitor the speed of each wheel. Before a wheel reaches the point of locking up, the brake pressure at that wheel is immediately reduced. As soon as the danger of locking has been averted, the pressure is reapplied. In this way ABS helps the driver to retain control of the steering even during emergency braking. When ABS is in operation, the driver feels a slight pulsing in the brake pedal.

In tests carried out in the driving simulator, our research engineers established that drivers do not apply the brakes vigorously enough during emergency braking. This finding led them to develop the Brake Assist system. From the speed at which the brake pedal is depressed, Brake Assist is able to detect a situation where emergency braking is required. In such a situation the system automatically increases braking power, aided by the anti-lock braking system (ABS) which prevents the wheels from locking up.

If you need a quick start or want to accelerate on a wet or loose surface, there is always a danger that one or more wheels will spin. In the Viano, acceleration skid control (ASR) prevents this. Brakes are automatically applied to individual wheels and the engine output is reduced, improving both tractive power and stability.