ZF's optional products offer added value
When purchasing a new car, it is worthwhile to look at the list of optional and special equipment.ZF products increase both safety and comfort; they reduce consumption and ensure superior driving dynamics.
Currently, there is hardly anyone who is as popular as someone who potentially wants to buy a new car. Car dealers entice their customers above all with discounts and add-ons - however, seldom with sensible optional equipment. Though it is worth taking a closer look at the variety of optional equipment: Technology provided by ZF makes driving safer, more comfortable, and more sporty. Innovative driveline technology can even reduce operating costs. This is for instance demonstrated by ZF's new and clearly more economical automatic transmissions.
"The added value provided by our optional products should be incentive enough to decide in favor of them," says Hans-Georg Härter, CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, "but often, neither the dealers nor the customers know enough about them". After all, the lists of add-on equipment for new European vehicles include many ZF products which have quite obvious benefits: e.g. automatic transmissions, damping and leveling systems, or the active steering system.
Always the right gear on hand
The common prejudice that automatic transmissions are sluggish and increase consumption has been perfectly confuted, at least since the latest automatic transmission generation - launched by ZF. Quite the opposite: ZF's automatic transmissions excel in quick reaction times, partially even beyond human perception, a direct connection with the engine, and low consumption values.
In practice, they are even lower than with manual versions because the automatic transmission always selects the right gear and thus excludes operating errors. This saves money and enhances driving comfort.
Safety and driving pleasure with active steering
Driving becomes even safer and more comfortable with Active Steering by ZF Steering Systems. Your steering angle changes depending on the respective speed. When you are driving slowly in a city or when parking, a small steering angle has a rather strong steering effect. You don't even have to turn the steering wheel right round to get the full steering angle. However, when you are driving on a freeway, the steering angle is smaller. This clearly optimizes the vehicle's directional stability. The Active Steering system even compensates crosswinds – more quickly than any driver could. In critical evasion maneuvers, Active Steering also supports inexperienced drivers; so it is easier to avoid obstacles. When you brake, the steering system can even prevent the vehicle from breaking away if the grip on the road surface varies. The car stays safely on track. Depending on the manufacturer and model, Active Steering can also be networked with other electronic systems. This not only leads to a plus in safety but also makes driving more agile.
More safety and comfort thanks to CDC
ZF Sachs' electronic damping system CDC variably adjusts the hardness of the dampers depending on the road situation – so to ensure better grip on the road surface and thus an increase in comfort and safety. Soft damping, which guarantees quiet operation and comfort in normal driving conditions, is adjusted stiffer only when necessary but in a split second. This leads to improved handling and more safety - e.g. in critical evasion maneuvers. Some vehicle manufacturers even include several suspension configurations in their product range - between sporty and comfortable.
Ingeniously simple: The Nivomat
Every driver expects his vehicle to be perfectly safe and comfortable - independent of whether s/he is driving to work or on the move with the entire family and lots of luggage. Every car owner wants to make use of transporting major loads if the space is available. Ride and driving comfort as well as safety depend a great deal on the suspension elements, i.e. springs and dampers. The Nivomat by ZF Sachs offers optimal safety for every load condition, without any trade-offs in comfort. It is a compact unit which controls the vehicle's ride height. This system is unique of its kind; it adapts to any load automatically without requiring external power supply. Compared with other systems, it is absolutely compatible with the environment because it requires no energy supply. The Nivomat is installed instead of a conventional damper and automatically adjusts the optimal vehicle level for all load conditions. It is installed at the vehicle's rear axle. The system works fully automatically. In addition to damping, the Nivomat also assumes part of the suspension function in the vehicle. To this end, damping is also adapted to the load. Depending on road conditions, the fully loaded vehicle attains its ideal height after only a few hundred meters.
