Electronic intelligence has also reached the headlights, bringing precision and power where and when it is needed: all autonomously. For years, Opel has been following an evolutionary path along this very important aspect of driving, for those behind the wheel and for other road users.
Already in 1958 the German house (now part of the Stellantis group, born from the merger of PSA, of which the brand was already a part, and FCA) presented halogen headlights on its GT sports compact and in 1997 Xenon headlights arrived on the Omega. Then in 2003 its flagship models began to benefit from the adaptive beam that rotated 90 ° when cornering and the Bi-Xenon headlights. Five years later, the high beam assistance also arrived, subsequently integrated with the anti-glare beam and more recently in 2015 the IntelliLux LED headlight began to be available, with adaptation to all conditions.
Now this latest technology is available also on Corsa and Mokka as an option at 600 euros (but on the Ultimate version it is standard). The same goes for the Astra: here the option costs 1100 euros, because it is more complex. While on the Insignia it is standard on the range beyond the entry version.
If initially LED technology has allowed the designers to indulge themselves and the technicians to reduce space and dimensions for the benefit of aerodynamics, now it is also the consumption and the reduction of emissions that push towards the new technology. Over the years, energy consumption has been reduced by 76%, going from 72 Watts from halogen headlights to 17 Watts for Eco LEDs, with a CO2 reduction of 1 g / km (NEDC).
At Opel the IntelliLux headlight unit it consists of a Pixel LED module as high and low beam, a second LED module for low beam, the LED Cornering lights and the “signature”, also in LED, which makes up the daytime running light, the position light and the direction indicator. A complexity that can vary from 8 modules for the Corsa to 14 and 16 respectively for Mokka and Astra, up to 168 modules for the Insignia on both headlights.
At the base is the ability to recognize what surrounds us through sensors, a fundamental aspect of the car makes any alternative obsolete. As soon as you leave the streets of a city center, the Opel IntelliLux LED matrix headlights automatically switch to high beam mode. This variation continues with continuous monitoring with which the system adapts the light beam and distribution of the illumination cone. The result is that the matrix LED segments turn on and off in milliseconds, providing maximum light output without dazzling drivers in the opposite direction.
The first benefit that is felt when driving it is a clearer light and a wider and deeper beam up to 400 meters. This allows to reduce the reaction times at the wheel by up to 1.8 “for the benefit of safety, but also increases driving comfort because it reduces the stress given by the increased attention required at dusk and at night. Practical in maneuvering, this headlight gives its best on state roads by expanding the range of action, but at the same time without dazzling the cars coming in the opposite direction thanks to an automatic partitioning managed automatically by the system that reads what it encounters.
March 4, 2021 (change March 4, 2021 | 13:34)
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