ROLLE, SWITZERLAND --- At the Geneva Motor Show this month, Infiniti celebrated its 20-year anniversary by rolling out its Essence concept car, a 592-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive gasoline/electric hybrid coupe. 

Though the concept car primarily provided a showcase for the automaker's hybrid system, it also highlighted a range of next-generation safety features. The Safety Shield adds two new technologies to the Distance Control Assist (DCA) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) systems available in today's production Infinitis. Side Collision Prevention (SCP) and Back-up Collision Prevention (BCP) extend the anti-collision shield all the way around the car, Infiniti said. 

With SCP, when the driver decides to change lanes, side-mounted sensors activate a warning if an approaching vehicle is detected in the driver's intended lane. A yaw mechanism is then activated through brake control of individual wheels to help prevent a potential collision. Back-up Collision Prevention works in a similar way, sensing a vehicle behind, giving the driver a warning but then, if the warning is not heeded, activating the brakes automatically. 

The warning system and pre-emptive safety features are designed to help support the driver in an intuitive manner with minimal intervention, Infiniti said.