You don't need to be a mechanic or dealer to understand car jargon. Here's a guide to some of the latest terminology used in motor marketing.
Electronic stability control
Uses various sensors around the car to detect if the car is sliding and uses the brakes on one or more wheels to correct it. This technology will be mandated as compulsory for all cars sold in Australia from 2011. All cars that have electronic stability control also have ABS because it relies on the same system to work.
Also known as: ESC, DSC, VDC, ESP, AS&TC;, PSM and ASC+T.
Anti-lock brakes
The acronym ABS is derived from its German name "antiblockiersystem", which basically means anti-lock brakes. It prevents the car from skidding when the brakes are slammed on, allowing the driver to steer the car. ABS also includes electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and brake assist (BA) but these features are often listed separately to sound more impressive. ABS does not necessarily mean the car also has electronic stability control.
Transmission
Tiptronic: a Porsche-derived term for an automatic gearbox with manual function. This has given rise to other car manufacturers doing the same and calling it "Tiptronic-style" gearshift.
Dual-clutch gearbox: a newer type of gearbox that allows manual shifting but without needing a clutch pedal.
Instead, there are two automated clutches that can predict what gear you'll use next and preselect it for a smoother shift. Volkswagen pioneered this with BorgWarner and calls it DSG (direct shift gearbox), while the exact same system in an Audi is dubbed S Tronic.
Variable valve timing
Valves in the engine let the air-fuel mixture into the pistons and the burnt exhaust gasses out. Clever engineers figured out that by changing the timing (or the frequency) these valves open and close depending on the revs, you can improve the way the engine "breathes" and maximise its power. Also known as: VVT-i, Double-VANOS, VTEC, VarioCam and Multiair.
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