Technical data

D7D6

time. For example, when braking the dampers are adjusted accordingly, avoiding excessive

body pitch and promoting more comfortable braking behaviour. Fast steering manoeuvres

are detected via changes to the steering angle, and here the damping is changed to a ﬁ rmer

setting, reducing body roll, giving a safer, smoother, more comfortable drive.

Sport mode

Select Sport mode and FlexRide not only provides stiffer damping, but also swifter throttle

response for more dynamic driving. It also sharpens the speed-sensitive steering and

raises the shift-points of the automatic transmission to a higher rpm. A customisation menu,

accessible via the facia display, allows the driver to personalise the Sport mode by specifying

which functions are activated when the Sport button is pushed. For instance, the electronically

controlled dampers and steering can be added or switched off. The instrument lighting

switches from white to red adding to the driving experience.

Tour mode

Ideal for long motorway journeys, the Tour mode adjusts the dampers to a softer setting to

create a perceptibly smoother ride and further enhance new Astra’s ride comfort.

Normal mode

In Normal mode. The dampers permanently adapt to changing driving conditions, providing

more comfort than a conventional chassis but with improved cornering behaviour and better

steering response in quickly changing trafﬁ c situations.

Technical data

FlexRide chassis with Drive Mode Control (DMC)

D6. An integrated, fully adaptive chassis control system that signiﬁ cantly enhances the ride

and handling performance – and safety – of new Astra. The electronic brain behind FlexRide is

the Drive Mode Control (DMC) module. Utilising sophisticated vehicle dynamics information,

DMC constantly monitors up to 11 different driving dynamic variables – including acceleration,

braking and cornering – and optimises the behaviour of the chassis accordingly. DMC also

analyses the chosen FlexRide drive mode selected by the driver. Another key function is the

monitoring of driving style. DMC recognises if the driver is driving normally or sportily and

adapts chassis performance to match. In addition, FlexRide offers important safety beneﬁ ts

in emergency situations: for example, if an ‘unusual’ manoeuvre is detected the dampers are

stiffened by one level (i.e. from Normal to Sport mode) within milliseconds.

Continuous Damping Control (CDC)

D7. The heart of the FlexRide system is its Continuous Damping Control (CDC) technology

– this uses a series of electronic sensors to constantly monitor and control the suspension

for optimum stability, driver engagement and comfort. In simple terms, CDC, the four-

channel Anti-lock Braking System (with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), traction control

and Electronic Stability Programme-plus (ESP-plus) all communicate with each other,

continuously, to optimum effect. The process occurs 100 times per second, equivalent to

intervals of around 12 inches at a speed of 62mph. Based on this information, the adaptive

damping system continually optimises body control by changing the damping force in real

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