All-new 2008 Dodge Avenger Provides Class-leading Safety and Security Featu
01/09/2007
Dodge
A secure vehicle is a top priority for mid-size car buyers, and the all-new 2008 Dodge Avenger offers class-leading safety and security, with a combination of standard active and passive safety features not typically found in the mid-size-car segment.
Among more than 30 safety and security features, the all-new 2008 Dodge Avenger features standard advanced multi-stage front air bags, side-curtain air bags and front-seat-mounted side air bags, and available anti-lock brakes (ABS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), and a first for Dodge in the mid-size segment, all-wheel-drive capability (late availability).
Safety Systems Square Up Against Slick Surfaces
Avenger's all-wheel-drive system works on demand, driving only the front wheels until power to the rear wheels is needed. All-wheel drive is also used on dry pavement between speeds of 25 and 65 mph to enhance handling during performance driving. This system provides added traction on snow, ice and other low-traction surfaces without having to be switched on and off.
Avenger's available ABS system helps the driver keep the vehicle under control by preventing wheel lock-up when the driver brakes on slippery surfaces. Avenger also offers ESP packaged with Brake Assist and Traction Control. ESP is an option on Avenger SXT and R/T models and standard on the R/T AWD model. This stability system helps the Avenger driver maintain stability and does everything within the limits of vehicle traction to keep Avenger on course. ESP also helps maintain forward traction by constantly monitoring wheel speed sensor signals. If there is any indication of slippage, ESP engages, applying the brakes and, if necessary, closing the throttle to maintain traction. Avenger's ESP system works in slick driving conditions, including wet, snowy, icy, sandy or gravel roads, as well as on hot, dry pavement where a thin layer of oil can form, causing the surface to be slick.
"Studies have shown that in an emergency, the average driver will not apply the brakes hard enough or quick enough to achieve the minimum stopping distance," said Dennis Krozek, Chief Engineer-Dodge Avenger. "Avenger's Brake Assist overcomes this tendency by using the ESP system to instantly apply the maximum available pressure to the brakes."
A pressure sensor in the ESP hydraulic module determines when the driver is making an emergency stop by measuring the rate at which the driver applies the brake. A high rate of pedal pressure application causes the ESP system to apply maximum hydraulic pressure to the brakes, stopping the vehicle as quickly as the available traction will allow.
Traction Control helps the Avenger maintain traction by applying the brakes, and in some cases, closing the throttle to minimize wheel spin during acceleration.
Class-leading Safety and Security Features
- Advanced Multi-stage Front Air Bags Front-passenger air bags that use unique shape, venting, folding patterns, advanced inflators or a combination of these four technologies to position and inflate the restraint properly for a belted passenger while also meeting federal safety requirements for out-of-position, small occupants and rear-facing infant seats. Occupants are advised to always sit properly in their seats with the seat belt fastened. Children 12 and younger should always be seated in a back seat, correctly using an infant- or child-restraint system, or have the seat belt positioned correctly for their age and weight.
- All-speed Traction Control (included with ESP) senses drive-wheel slip and applies individual brakes to a slipping wheel(s), and can reduce excess engine power until traction is regained
- All-wheel Drive (late availability) provides added grip and vehicle stability by sending torque to the rear wheels only when necessary based on throttle input or wheel slip
- Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) senses and prevents wheel lockup, offering improved steering control under extreme braking and/or slippery conditions
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror dims the light to ease headlight reflection in the driver's eyes
- Auto-reverse Sun Roof advanced sensing system that automatically engages and reverses the sun roof (to the open position)
- Auto-reverse Windows automatically engages and reverses the window (to the down position)
- BeltAlert provides an audible and visual warning to alert drivers when their seat belt is unfastened
- Brake Assist (included with ESP) ensures 100 percent brake efficiency during panic brake situations
- Brake/Park Interlock Prevents an automatic transmission or transaxle from being shifted out of Park until the brake pedal is applied
- Child-protection Rear Door Locks disable the rear doors' inside-release handle via a small lever on the door-shut face
- Child Seat Anchor System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren [LATCH]) eases installation of compatible aftermarket child seats
- Constant Force Retractors (CFR) distributes force or load exerted on a seat belt, and then gradually releases the seat-belt webbing in a controlled manner
- Crumple Zones compress during an accident to absorb energy from an impact, decreasing transfer of that energy to the occupants
- Daytime Running Lamps increase visual contrast between the Avenger and its surrounding environment
- Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with Traction Control assists the driver in maintaining vehicle directional stability by applying selective braking and throttle control to manage oversteer, understeer and to maintain traction during acceleration on slippery surfaces
- Energy-absorbing Steering Column utilizes two hydroformed coaxial tubes that can move relative to each other to allow the column to move forward for enhanced energy-absorption during a crash. The power-adjust steering column employs a calibrated bending element that deforms during column stroke for optimal energy management
- Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS) makes it easier for emergency personnel to see and reach occupants in the event of an accident by turning on the interior lighting and unlocking the doors after air-bag deployment. Also shuts off the flow of fuel to the engine
- Front-seat-mounted Side Air Bags deploy for enhanced thorax protection during a side impact
- Height-adjustable Front Seat Belts allow the driver and front passenger to raise and lower the shoulder belt. Encourages seat-belt usage by offering a more comfortable fit
- HomeLink Universal Home Security System Transceiver stores three separate transmitter radio-frequency codes to operate garage-door openers, security gates, security lighting or other radio-controlled devices
- Inside Emergency Trunk Release, with a glow-in-the-dark release handle, can be activated in the event of an adult or child being inadvertently trapped inside the trunk
- Interior Head-impact Protection includes interior pillars above the belt line and instrument panel including areas around windshield and rear window headers, roof and side-rail structures, as well as shoulder-belt turning loops specifically designed to limit head-impact force
- Knee Bolsters in the lower instrument panel and the glove-box door are designed to properly position the occupant, enabling the air bags to work effectively
- Remote Keyless Entry locks and unlocks doors, and turns on interior lamps. If the vehicle is equipped with a vehicle-theft security alarm, the remote also arms and disarms that system
- Seat-belt Pretensioners immediately remove slack in the seat belts in a collision situation, thereby reducing the forward movement of the occupants' heads and torsos
- Security Alarm blows the horn intermittently and flashes the turn signal lamps to deter vandalism and theft. It protects the vehicle from theft by monitoring both the door- and liftgate-ajar switches and the ignition circuit for unauthorized entry
- Sentry Key(R) Engine Immobilizer utilizes an engine key that has an embedded transponder with a preprogrammed security key code to shut the engine off after a few seconds if the correct key is not inserted
- Side-occupant Protection System includes side-curtain air bags with roll detection system that deploy in certain rollover situations and side-impact events. Utilizes information from multiple sensors to determine the severity of the impact
- Supplemental Side-curtain Air Bags deploy from the headliner to provide two rows of side-impact protection to outboard occupants
- Side Guard Door Beams in front and rear doors provide occupant protection during a side impact
- Structural Safety Cage protects occupants by managing and controlling energy in the event of an impact
- Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPM) System alerts the driver to low pressure tire(s) by a warning light in the instrument cluster. A premium system displays individual tire pressure, available with the Electronic Vehicle Information System
- UConnect Hands-free Communication System uses Bluetooth technology to provide voice-activated wireless communication between the occupants' compatible cell phone and the vehicle's onboard receiver. The hands-free option promotes safety, freedom, value and flexibility