Off-roading is somewhat contradictory in nature. You leave the pavement to escape the rules, laws, and restrictions applied to public roads, but once you’re in the dirt, it’s crucial to self-enforce an entirely different set of guidelines. You must always check puddles, know your approach and departure angles, and most importantly, take it easy.
There is a time and place for all-out who-gives-a-hoot off-road blasting. It’s called the Utah desert in a Ford F-150 Raptor. But in hilly or mountainous terrain, you need to slow down, watch where you’re going, and precisely avoid impediments that could damage your vehicle and leave you stranded (always bring a buddy!).
In the past, adventurers simply put their vehicles in low gear to carefully creep down rocky mountain paths, but today, many new SUVs have something called hill-descent control. It’s a useful feature that helps the driver easily get down rough trails. Because it’s not something everybody is familiar with, The Drive’s editors have put together a guide to explain everything about hill-descent control and how it works.
You won’t need to take notes for this one, it’s pretty simple.
Hill-descent control is a driver-assistance feature that holds the vehicle at a specific speed without any inputs while you traverse down descents with rough ground. The simplest way to think about it is super-slow off-road cruise control.
The primary purpose is safety. Without the need to worry about modulating the gas and brake pedals, you can focus on steering the vehicle to the safest spots. Additionally, it prevents the vehicle from picking up speed and hitting a dangerous obstacle.
Once the hill-descent control is active and engaged by the driver, the vehicle will use the ABS braking system, the traction control system, and/or advanced engine braking to keep the vehicle in check. The vehicle will not surpass a designated speed.
Hill-descent control was primarily created for, and is most often used for, going down a steep grade on rough terrain. This usually happens when you’re off-roading. You shouldn’t be using it while traveling down the highway.
The entire point of hill-descent control on some models is to keep one constant, factory-tuned speed, but on others, you can adjust the speed of the descent by using the cruise control buttons.
In 2021, it’s surprising when a truck or SUV doesn’t have hill-descent control, as it’s a common driver-assistance feature that comes standard or is available on most new utility vehicles. Here are a few examples.
You’ve got questions, The Drive has answers!
A: You should consult your owner’s manual for specific instructions about your car, but in general, you can usually turn Hill-Descent Control on with the press of a button or switch, physical or digital. In some cases, you might need to shift the transmission first.
A: It changes from car to car, so read your owner’s manual for specific instructions. Generally, you can turn it off with the press of the button you used to turn it on.
A: Nothing. Downhill brake control is simply Hyundai’s marketing terminology for hill-descent control. Other names include Toyota’s Hill Control Assist, Porsche’s Hill Control, and Jaguar’s All Surface Progress Control.
A: Hill-Start Assist is a modern feature available on new cars that prevents the vehicle from rolling back when starting your motion while on an incline.
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