What Is Nissan Active Trace Control? What Does It Do?

Nissan Active Trace Control is an active trace control system used on Nissan-brand automobiles. This system is used to improve the vehicle’s driving performance and enhances the vehicle’s road grip.

Nissan developed Active Trace Control as a driver assistance system. This system assists driving through sharp or tight corners and helps the vehicle trace its path flawlessly. This system is an extension of the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) . Nissan continuously develops new technologies, such as Active Ride Control, that complement Active Trace Control and enhance overall driving quality.

What Does Active Trace Control Do

Taking a sharp corner is always a maneuver that requires skill, and everyone finds it a bit uncomfortable. This is because such a situation requires the acceleration, braking, and steering of the vehicle to all be closely monitored at the same time, which some drivers find challenging. This is why a little help in such a situation helps the driver feel more confident behind the wheel. This is where Active Trace Control comes in.

The Nissan Active Trace Control system improves the vehicle’s road grip by controlling the brakes on the front and rear axles. For example, it reduces the risk of the vehicle running off the road during a turn and helps the vehicle travel in a more stable way. The system also controls the vehicle’s speed and steering movements, helping the vehicle travel more stably.

Brake-Based Torque Vectoring

Active Trace Control corrects the vehicle’s cornering line by lightly braking the inside wheels of the turn.

Engine Torque Adjustment

The system temporarily reduces engine torque when needed to increase the vehicle’s cornering stability.

High-Speed Cornering Support

This Nissan system helps the driver hold their intended line, especially in corners taken at high speed.

How Does Active Trace Control Work?

Active Trace Control also closely tracks the steering inputs given by the driver against the vehicle’s actual path. When there’s a mismatch between these two parameters, the system automatically applies the brakes to take corrective action.

This means the system can activate at any moment — when entering the corner, in the middle of the corner, or when exiting the corner. It’s entirely dependent on the situational demand.

The Nissan Active Trace Control system is generally offered as a selectable equipment option on Nissan-brand automobiles and has a switch that lets the driver turn the system on or off. The system can also operate in a special driving mode of the vehicle, in which the vehicle offers a sportier driving experience.

Overall, the Nissan Active Trace Control system improves the vehicle’s road grip and aims to enhance driving performance. However, the accuracy and reliability of such systems can never be fully guaranteed, and it’s important for drivers to remain attentive to the warnings they receive from these systems.

Related Questions

ESP is already a system that can detect when a vehicle is skidding and correct it with brake intervention. Active Trace Control uses this same infrastructure, but instead of waiting for a skid, it applies light braking preemptively while entering a corner to keep the vehicle on its ideal line.

The system lightly brakes the wheels on the inside of the corner, helping the nose of the vehicle turn into the corner more effectively. This reduces the vehicle’s tendency to drift outward and helps it follow its intended line.