VIDEO: Ford's New Stability Control Technology

The 2015 model-year Ford Focus features stability control technology that actively determines when a car meets the conditions that may lead to a spin and intervenes early to help prevent the driver from losing control.

The feature, which is known as enhanced transitional stability technology, can help deliver better handling in highly dynamic driving maneuvers, Ford said. The system determines when a skid is imminent using information about the car’s speed, steering-wheel position, turn rate of the steering wheel, and other input. Once the system identifies a risk, braking is applied to individual wheels to help the driver maintain control and continue on the intended path.

“By recognizing scenarios that can lead to a potential loss of driver control before oversteer has developed, the enhanced transitional stability system is setting the recovery process in motion quicker than ever before – resulting in smoother, more refined control,” said David Messih, brake controls manager for Ford North America.

Enhanced transitional stability technology is standard on the new Focus. It combines real-time data from sensors throughout the car to anticipate a potential spin by 100 to 200 milliseconds.

The innovation came about when engineers tried applying an algorithm already in use with Ford’s Roll Stability Control to the enhanced transitional stability technology. The result is a stability control system that predicts potential spins before they happen.

Engineers have worked to ensure the new Focus feels more connected to the road and is even easier to drive, Ford said.

In 2013, commercial fleets added 11,497 Focus compact cars. Government fleets added 5,421.