Even those of us who spend our days lost in the equipment and optional cards of the models, or hearing about all the new systems of this or that car, are sometimes confused by the panoply of names that exist.
Some acronyms we no longer know what they mean because they have been with us for a long time, as is the case with the DSG. You're fed up with knowing that this is the designation of the Volkswagen group's dual-clutch gearbox, but what do the initials D.S.G. literally mean? Well… And the ESC? No, it's not the escape...
Other more recent acronyms appear on the buttons of the test units that pass weekly here by Ledger Automobile. We know very well what they do, because they are usually accompanied by graphics that leave no doubt. But and literally what does SIPS mean on Volvo models? And RVM or AFS on Mazda models?
The abbreviations have even reached the versions of certain models, such as the Citroën C3 Aircross 1.2 Puretech 110 S&S EAT.
So, stay with our list of the most common acronyms:
| ABS | Anti-Locking Braking System | Anti-lock brake system |
| ABSD | Active Blind Spot Detection | Blind Spot Detection System |
| ACC | Adaptive Cruise Control | adaptive speed control |
| AEB | Emergency Braking Assistance | emergency braking assistant |
| AFL | Adaptive Forward Lighting | adaptive headlights |
| AFS | Advanced Front Lighting Systems | Advanced front light system |
| ASC | Active Stability Control | stability control |
| ASCC | Advanced Smart Cruise Control | Advanced cruise control |
| AVMS | Automatic Vehicle Monitoring System | vehicle monitoring system |
| AWD | All Wheel Drive | all-wheel drive system |
| BAS | Break Assist System | Brake assistant system |
| BCW | Blind-Spot Collision Warning | collision alert |
| BLIS | Blind-Spot Information System | Blind Spot Detection System |
| BSD | Blind Spot Detection | Blind Spot Detection System |
| BSM | Blind Spot Monitoring System | Blind Spot Detection System |
| DAA | Driver Attention Alert | Driver alert system |
| DAW | Driver Alert Warning | driver alert system |
| DCT | Dual Clutch Transmission | Dual clutch transmission |
| DSC | Dynamic Stability Control | stability control |
| DSG | Direct Shift Gearbox | Dual clutch gearbox |
| DSR | Downhill Speed Regulation | Downhill Speed Controller |
| DSTC | Dynamic Stability Traction Control | Stability and traction control system |
| DTC | Dynamic Traction Control | traction control |
| AND THE | Electrically Assisted Steering | Driving with electrical assistance |
| EAT | Electronic Automatic Transmission | Automatic transmission |
| EBA | Emergency Brake Assist | emergency braking assistant |
| EBD | Electronic Brake force Distribution | Electronic brake force distribution |
| EDC | Efficient Dual Clutch | Dual clutch gearbox |
| ESC | Electronic Stability Control | stability control |
| ESP | Electronic Stability Program | stability control |
| ESS | Emergency Stop Signal | emergency stop signal |
| FCA | Forward Collision Avoidance Assist | Collision Avoidance Assistant |
| FCWS | Front Collision Warning System | collision warning system |
| HAC | Hill Assist Control | Hill Start Controller |
| HBA | High Beam Assist | High beam assistant |
| HDC | High Descent Control | Downhill Speed Controller |
| HID | High Intensity Discharge | high intensity discharge |
| HUD | head up display | Head-up Display |
| LAS | Lane-keep Assist System | Assistance system for involuntary crossing of the carriageway |
| LDAS | Lane Departure Avoidance System | Warning system for involuntary crossing of the carriageway |
| LDWS | Lane Departure Warning System | Warning system for involuntary crossing of the carriageway |
| LED | Light Emitting Diode | light emitting diode |
| LKAS | Lane Keeping Assist System | Assistance system for involuntary crossing of the carriageway |
| MRCC | Mazda Radar Cruise Control | Mazda Cruise Speed Radar |
| PDC | Park Distance Control | parking sensor system |
| RCCW | Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning | Rear traffic alert |
| RCTA | Rear Cross Traffic Alert | Rear traffic alert |
| RVM | Rear View Monitoring | Rear traffic monitoring |
| SBCS | Smart City Brake Support | Autonomous city braking system |
| SIPS | Side Impact Protection System | Side impact protection system |
| SLIF | Speed Limit Information Function | Speed limit information function |
| SLS | Straight Line Stability | Lane Assistance System |
| SPAS | Smart Park Assist System | Parking assistance system |
| SWPS | Steering Wheel Position System | position sensor of the |
| H&S | Start and Stop | Engine stop and start system |
| TCS | Traction Control System | traction control system |
| TSR | Traffic Sign Recognition | Recognition of traffic signs |
| TPMS | Tire Pressure Monitor System | Tire pressure monitoring system |
| TVBB | Torque Vectoring by Breaking | binary vectoring system |
| VSA | Vehicle Stability Assistant | stability control |
| VSM | Vehicle Stability Management | stability control |
Then there are special ones… such as Porsche, which identifies all its systems starting with “P”. You'll understand why.
| PAS | Porsche Active Safe |
| PASM | Porsche Active Suspension Management |
| PCM | Porsche Communication Management |
| PDK | Porsche Doppel Kupplung |
| PSM | Porsche Stability Management |
| PTM | Porsche Traction Management |
| PTV | Porsche Torque Vectoring |
Of course, once again there are so many that we've certainly forgotten one of them. And thou? Do you have an abbreviation on your car that is not on this list?
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