Buick LaCrosse Ups Computing Power

General Motors Co. says its redesigned Buick LaCrosse sedan has 31 electronic control units—14 more than its predecessor—to manage and improve the growing number of safety, performance, infotainment and connectivity features.

The added computing power boosts calculating efficiency and enables the handling of larger quantities of data, GM notes. The ECUs communicate with each other and various sensors and other software over the vehicle’s local area network, which includes eight CAN (controller-area network) buses.

The all-new LaCrosse, which is being launched this week in China, is longer, lower, wider and sleeker than the outgoing model. It also gets a host of new and upgraded hardware and software, including a megapixel front camera, long-distance sensors and added external object calculation modules.

Algorithms for existing safety systems also have improved, which GM says results in a faster and more precise decision-making process. The vehicle’s second-generation continuous damping control system, for example, now scans road conditions at a frequency of 100 times per second, with real-time damping adaptations made accordingly to enhance comfort and handling. And a new pedestrian detection system alerts the driver and, if necessary, automatically applies the brakes if a collision is imminent.

Other new safety features available on the 2017 LaCrosse include lane-keeping assist, following distance, high-beam alert and an advanced parking assist system. These are in addition to carryover systems such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning.