Moses Akaigwe
Land Rover has helped remove some of the stress of reversing a trailer with its optional Advanced Tow Assist feature, now available on all Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles.
Advanced Tow Assist allows drivers to reverse a trailer using the rotary controller on the centre console to guide the vehicle. The Terrain Response knob assumes the role of the steering wheel, and while operating the pedals as normal, the intuitive system shows the predicted path of the trailer with coloured guide lines on the infotainment screen.
This enables drivers to steer with ease as the vehicle calculates the precise level of counter-steering required to maintain the desired trajectory.
The system is more intuitive than using the steering wheel because within one field of vision, it effectively steers the trailer along the desired path. This eliminates the need to constantly check three mirrors and look over shoulders while performing unnatural opposite steering techniques. In addition to significantly reducing driver workload, the feature enhances manoeuvrability and safety when reversing, and will alert the driver when approaching a jack-knife situation.
Trailer Stability Assist. Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) is a standard feature on all Land Rovers and Range Rovers that monitors the vehicle to detect movements in the trailer and then uses selective braking to help correct potentially hazardous situations. Should TSA detect a dangerous trailer sway situation developing, it can help you regain control by gradually reducing speed, through lowering engine power and applying the brakes individually on each side of the vehicle to control the sway.
Trailer Light Test. On Land Rovers and Range Rovers with optional Electronically Deployable Tow Bars (EDT) fitted, a Trailer Light Test system will automatically check if all lights on the trailer are functioning correctly. This eliminates the need to manually walk around the vehicle and trailer to check globes are in order – which can be especially tricky when inspecting brake lights alone.
Hitch Assist. All vehicles with rear cameras and factory-fitted tow bars, either fixed or Electronically Deployable, come with a Hitch Assist function to ease the process of joining a vehicle and trailer. The infotainment screen will display a trajectory line from the tow ball directly to the trailer’s ball cup, preventing the need for outside assistance or having to continuously get out of the driver’s seat to check progress.
Rear Height Assist. Land Rovers fitted with either optional or standard Air Suspension, such as Discovery, New Defender and Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Velar, can raise or lower the rear of the vehicle to make quick work of attaching a trailer. This feature takes some time out of manually winding the trailer’s nosewheel height to match the tow ball and tow cup. Rear Height Assist is also handy in situations without a trailer, such as when loading groceries or dogs into the cargo bay.
Nose Load Measurement. The Land Rover Discovery and New Defender are available with a unique Nose Load Measurement System which allows drivers to easily check the weight being applied to the vehicle tow bar. These vehicles’ Electronically Deployable Tow Bar hardware carry a calibrated weight sensor to gauge the load on the tow bar itself and warn of dangerous overloading.
It could not be confirmed at press time when the Jaguar Land Rover representative in Nigeria, if the Advanced Tow Assist is already on Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles in the country, or when it will.