!NEW! All-New Buick LaCrosse Upgrades Computing Power

New electronic control system lays foundation for intelligent power, handling, safety and connectivity

All-New Buick LaCrosse

At a time when the world’s attention is focused on a computer program capable of defeating a professional board game player, the automotive industry is also embracing a new era of in-vehicle electronic and software advances. 

Vehicle safety, comfort, fuel efficiency and connectivity technologies are influenced at least in part by electronic control modules within the vehicle. A car’s electronic system manages a constant influx of data for many of its most important components – from an engine’s fuel injection system and the car’s windshield wiper motor, to the operation of advanced active safety features like Pedestrian Detection.

All-New Buick LaCrosse - Pedestrian Detection

The all-new Buick LaCrosse, pioneers advances for the brand in connectivity and safety. Its all-new, more robust electronic control system – an integral part of these features – includes eight in-car data Controller Area Network buses (CAN bus) that act similarly to an eight-core brain, enabling the interaction of the vehicle’s electronic systems, microcontrollers, sensors and software to perform handling, safety and connectivity operations seamlessly for the owner.

When a vehicle is in motion, a vast amount of data is being rapidly transmitted and calculated to generate instructions that are often unnoticed by the driver, such as data from the transmission as it shifts gears or even temperature sensors to alter in-cabin comfort. That is why an efficient and capable electronic control system is needed for today's increasingly smarter vehicles.

In an automobile, the electronic control layout works similarly to the central nervous system in a human being. At its core, in-car data buses form a Local Area Network (LAN) to connect the nodes and sensors of the different Electronic Control Units (ECUs). Data buses allow vehicles to detect their surrounding environment and control corresponding functions such as slippery road conditions for traction control.

While data buses serve as “messengers,” ECUs play the role of an in-vehicle computer. There are 31 ECUs distributed in the all-new Buick LaCrosse, while its predecessor utilized only 17 ECUs. This optimizes calculating efficiency. In order to facilitate the handling of large quantities of data, a specific data bus is arranged to connect ECUs, each of which can process data independently.

All-New Buick LaCrosse Offers Smart Features

The current Buick LaCrosse has been the segment leader in China in the introduction of intelligent safety features that include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Change Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Collision Imminent Braking.

The all-new Buick LaCrosse introduces additional safety functions such as Pedestrian Detection, Lane Keep Assist, Following Distance Indicator, High Beam Alert and Advance Park Assist.

The all-new Buick LaCrosse has upgraded the hardware and software of its intelligent safety systems. It features a Megapixel Front Camera, all-new long-distance radars and sensors, and added External Object Calculation Modules (EOCM). The previous distributed intelligent safety mechanism has now become an integrated one, ensuring a faster and more precise decision-making process.

For example, if the all-new Pedestrian Detection system identifies a pedestrian directly ahead and a collision is imminent, the system alerts the driver and, if necessary, automatically applies the brakes to help reduce the collision’s severity or avoid the collision.

The second-generation Continuous Damping Control (CDC) system scans road conditions at a frequency of 100 times per second, with real-time damping adaptations made accordingly to guarantee optimized comfort and handling.

New Landscape: Intelligent and Connected

Thanks to its IntelliLink infotainment system, the all-new Buick LaCrosse has a fully upgraded system that is both intelligent and connected. It is not only compatible with Apple CarPlay and Baidu CarLife, but also benefits from OnStar with 4G LTE. Its built-in Wi-Fi hotspot allows the connection of as many as seven devices simultaneously. IntelliLink ensures reliable networking services with a convenient and user-friendly operating system.

All-New Buick LaCrosse has a fully upgraded system that is both intelligent and connected.