Today (August 27th) at the company’s technology day, Tenneco highlighted results of a survey showing that consumers experience a feeling of greater comfort, control and safety when driving cars equipped with intelligent (electronically-adjusted) suspension systems versus the same cars equipped with conventional suspension systems. Intelligent suspension systems continuously adjust shock absorber damping levels to road conditions and vehicle dynamics such as speed, turning, cornering and other driver inputs to achieve an optimal balance between ride comfort and vehicle handling. The system can be switched from standard to sport or comfort mode at any time according to driver preferences without impacting vehicle dynamics.
In the survey,* conducted for Tenneco by TNS Infratest, 94% of sports utility vehicle (SUV) drivers rated the overall driving experience with a semi-active suspension system as very good or excellent, compared with a rating of 73% for passive suspension systems. In the compact car (CC) segment, 86% of drivers rated their overall driving experience as very good or excellent compared with 61% for passive systems, while 88% of upper middle class (UMC) segment drivers rated semi-active suspension systems as very good or excellent versus 77% for passive systems.
“The research results confirm that intelligent suspension systems deliver benefits that consumers notice and prefer –most notably that there is no need to compromise between ride comfort and handling,” said Tim Jackson, Tenneco chief technology officer. “Consumers feel that intelligent systems reconcile these differences to give drivers the benefit of both, and they value the ability to vary their ride at the touch of a button.”
Following the consumer survey, a series of quantitative tests by TÜV SÜD using vehicles equipped with Monroe® Intelligent Suspension technology confirmed better wheel to road contact, which helps avoid sideslip and oversteer, especially during cornering on uneven road surfaces. In more dynamic driving situations, such as changing lanes or avoiding obstacles, the reduction in body movement was found to bring greater stability, which helps increase the feeling of comfort and safety.
*The survey included 155 German consumers who took part in comparative on-road vehicle tests.
