The most sophisticated devices currently on the market allow maximum protection for driver and passengers. This is what the new Alfa GT promises (and delivers). In the preventive safety field, the new model offers xenon headlights while its active safety complement includes VDC with Brake Assist for total control of car dynamic stability under all conditions. As far as passive safety is concerned, the Alfa GT offers up to six airbags: two front airbags, two front sidebags and two window bags.

To ensure the Alfa GT offers the greatest passive safety, the Fiat Auto Safety Centre engineers examined all possible types of accident (frontal impact, side impact, roll-over, shunting and fire), taking into account the various speeds at which impact may occur, the different types of obstacle and the need to protect occupants with very different physical characteristics. The result: the new model is one of the safest cars in its entire segment.


VDC with Brake Assist

To ensure absolute mastery of the car under all conditions, however extreme, the entire Alfa GT range is fitted as standard with VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) with an emergency brake assist device.

This is the Alfa Romeo version of the ESP (Electronic Stability Program). This innovative device cuts in under extreme conditions when car stability is at risk and also helps the driver control the car. As befits a true Alfa, the VDC is a sporting device that allows outstanding roadholding. It enables the driver to enjoy total mastery of the vehicle while conditions are normal, cutting in only as the situation becomes critical.

The VDC is permanently engaged. The MSR (Motor Schleppmoment Regelung) cuts in when the gear is shifted down abruptly in low grip conditions. This device restores torque to the engine to prevent the wheel skidding as a result of lock.

To achieve this result, the VDC continually monitors tyre grip in both longitudinal and lateral directions. If the car skids, it cuts in to restore directionality and ride stability. It uses sensors to detect rotation of the car body about its vertical axis (yaw speed), car lateral acceleration and the steering wheel angle set by the driver (which indicates the chosen direction). It then goes on to compare these data with parameters generated by a computer and establishes - via a complex mathematical model - whether the car is cornering within its grip limits or if the front or rear is about to skid (understeer or oversteer).

To restore the correct trajectory, it then generates a yawing movement in the opposite direction to the movement that gave rise to the instability by braking the appropriate wheel (interior or exterior) individually and reducing engine power (via the throttle). This is the key attribute of the device designed by Alfa Romeo engineers. It acts in a modulated fashion on the brakes to ensure the action is as smooth as possible (and the drive is not therefore disturbed). The engine power reduction is restrained to ensure outstanding performance and great driving satisfaction at all times.

As it carries out its complex task, the VDC stays in constant communication with the brake sensors and engine control unit but also with:

• a Body computer that constantly exchanges information with the ABS, engine management unit and automatic transmission unit;
• an electronic throttle (that communicates with the ABS in turn);
• a control panel (active warning lights);
• the steering wheel and steering column (via the steering sensor);
• a gyroscopic sensor installed on the passenger compartment floor to record car yaw and lateral acceleration.

The VDC fitted to the Alfa GT also comes with an emergency brake assist device. The function is carried out electronically by the ABS control unit and is referred to as HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistance). In emergency braking situations, most drivers recognise a situation of danger and press the brake pedal very quickly. But not, however, with sufficient force. This is because people, unless they are professional drivers, are used to applying a certain load to the brake pedal. Because people tend to switch to autopilot mode when they carry out repetitive actions, the same level of force tends to be applied in all circumstances.

On the Alfa GT, however, the Brake Assist device cuts in at this point. Although the pressure on the pedal is unchanged, the car is decelerated by the same amount as it would be if it were braked with all the necessary force. And there is more. Panic brake assist devices can even help experienced drivers who brake quickly and apply the correct amount of force in emergencies. This is because the system reduces braking attenuation time in all cases, i.e. the period between the time when pressure begins to be applied to the pedal and the moment when the circuit reaches maximum pressure and is able to offer maximum performance.

Front airbags, front sidebags and window-bags

All versions of the Alfa GT offer no fewer than six airbags, all as standard. Firstly the front airbags: for the driver (with capacity of 42 litres) and passenger (90 litres). Their operation is controlled by an electronic control unit on the tunnel that evaluates impact severity by means of sensors that are calibrated by conducting crash tests in the laboratory. Less time than the blink of an eye elapses between a crash and the airbag opening. The gas used to fill the bags is inert, non-toxic argon. The airbags are also made out of nylon 6/6, a permeable material that allows the bag to deflate in a few tenths of a second after impact to minimise skin abrasions. Bag structure is innovative: it is folded in a special way and equipped with two cloth strips that yield gradually to allow the bag to unfold more gradually and not directly toward the occupant.

The system comes with a diagnostic circuit for checking components electronically. The components are tested by a processor that monitors their operation continuously. The airbags will not be activated by low speed accidents (for example, a slight shunt or a bump while parking) or by stresses that are not due to impact (e.g. driving fast over a pothole).

The passenger front airbag may be deactivated manually by operating a switch on the end of the facia with the ignition key. This means a baby can be carried on a baby seat facing in the opposite direction to the car's motion (the pretensioner remains active). The Alfa GT is fitted with two sidebags to protect the pelvis and chest of front seat passengers when the car is struck from the side. They are located inside the front seat squabs. This solution ensures the best possible protection for passengers regardless of their stature, sitting position or seat setting. For geometrical reasons, it is also possible to use a 12 litre airbag: this volume is lower than an airbag housed in the door would require to offer the same protection. The sensors controlling activation of these airbags are located in the central pillars. If an accident occurs, they receive a side acceleration signal and send it to the electronic control unit that is also responsible for operating the front airbags and seat-belt pretensioners. All systems are managed in an integral manner in accordance with a strategy of total, progressive occupant safety.

The Alfa GT is also fitted with window-bags that drop down along the windows to safeguard the passengers' heads in the case of side impact. Compared to other solutions, the window-bags adopted on the Alfa GT are more protective (because they always take up the correct position), faster to inflate and less invasive for passengers. They open from top to bottom and do not involve a risk of secondary damage to occupants' arms. They also effectively safeguard the heads of front and rear passengers because they extend along the entire width of the window and ensure protection even during rollover.

Two bags (one on the right and the other on the left) are located under the roof rails where they are folded into a closed compartment. At the appropriate moment, the covering bends open to allow the bags to expand and drop downward.

The toughest tests for total protection

The Alfa GT has passed all the tests conducted to the toughest European, US and Japanese standards: frontal impact ECE R 94 against a deformable barrier offset in relation to the vehicle axis (at 56 km/h); side impact ECE R 95 against a deformable barrier at 50 km/h; rear impact to ECE 32/34 standards (shunting at 35-38 km/h) and the Japanese TRIAS 33 test (shunting at 50 km/h). The new car has also undergone the simulated tests required for the Euro NCAP programme: frontal impact at 64 km/h against a deformable barrier offset at 40%; side impact at 50 km/h against a deformable barrier, and side impact at 29 km/h against a pole. The Alfa GT also performed very respectably in the Insurer's crash test that measures the likelihood that the car will suffer damage as a result of low speed accidents. In many European markets (particularly in Germany and Great Britain), the insurance premium varies according to the class attributed to the car by insurance category associations. This judgement is based on average repair cost and statistical frequency of claims.

The Alfa GT therefore represents the state of the art in the field of passive safety systems. This has been achieved by equipping the new sports coupé with all the most sophisticated devices currently available. These include: side impact bars in the doors, collapsible steering column, six airbags (described in the previous paragraph), seat-belts with pretensioners and load limiters and, on the central rear seat, a third head-restraint and seat-belt with reel.

On the Alfa GT, the front and rear seat structure is designed to prevent 'antisubmarining': in other words, rigid transverse elements beneath the cushion prevent occupants from slipping under the seat-belt in the case of accident. The load-bearing properties of the padding foam are also differential to give the correct support to different body parts, offer maximum comfort and assure good lateral and longitudinal containment even over twisty routes.

The Alfa GT is also fitted as standard with head-restraints at the front that can be tilted and adjusted for height and at the rear, including a third rear head-restraint combined with a belt. The new sports coupé is also equipped with an inertia reel seat-belt, pretensioner and load limiter. In case of impact, an electronically-controlled pyrotechnic pretensioner rewinds the belt within a few milliseconds so that it fits snugly to the body. The front reels contain load limiters that yield in a controlled manner to modulate the force exercised on the shoulders of the belt wearer.

All these devices, including the airbags, are governed by a sophisticated nervous system that is controlled by an electronic control unit located in the front tunnel. This control unit receives signals from the various sensors distributed throughout the car (and others inside) and decides how many devices should be activated and which ones. This is why the system is said to be 'smart'. It does not activate when the occupant is in no danger of striking the car walls regardless of whether an impact has taken place or not. It detects stresses that are not caused by an impact. It will even work if the electrical system stops working.

All this is made possible by particularly sophisticated operating strategies and detection terminals. Such as two-way accelerometers that provide a set of information that complements signals from satellite sensors on the central panels (responsible for activating the sidebags and window-bags).

The Alfa GT steering column structure is also telescopic to safeguard the driver against the steering wheel intruding into the passenger compartment (in case of frontal impact, particularly at high speed). The steering column is divided into two segments, the lower part consists of a collapsible sleeve that holds the steering wheel position steady at the moment of impact. The upper segment slides (for axial adjustment) and swings (for vertical adjustment).

Not to mention the outstanding torsional rigidity of the body that is an essential requirement for safety and travelling comfort. The result achieved by the Alfa GT is more than 100,000 daNm/rad, one of the best in its segment. Many aspects contributed to this outcome and also allowed us to turn the passenger compartment of the new model into a veritable survival cell. Examples include rails that crumple in a controlled fashion to absorb impact energy, and doors with side impact bars and reinforcements on the central pillar and belt for greater protection against side impact. Plus front struts linked to the side panel by connecting elements that also help absorb frontal energy. Reinforced front hinges also offer high levels of resistance against crushing. Other strengthened parts include the connection between suspension and dashboard and the windscreen pillars that help make the passenger compartment more rigid side to side and ensure it is joined to the side panels at waist height.

Last but not least, the Alfa GT is also fitted with a Fire Prevention System. This is the most up-to-date and sophisticated solution for protecting a car against possible fire risks. The main system components include an inertia switch that immediately locks the electric pump in petrol-driven cars and the supply solenoid in diesel cars following crashes of a certain entity. This brings about a pressure drop in the fuel ducts to prevent fuel emerging. On petrol versions, a cut-off value is also fitted after the tank. This prevents fuel loss in the case of impact, roll-over or damage to the fuel lines. The fuel tank is made out of plastic material resistant to mechanical stress and fire. It is located in a protected position in front of the rear axle.

All electrical equipment power leads are fitted with maxifuses: devices that cut off the power supply when the temperature becomes too high. Connection leads to the starter motor and alternator are covered with an abrasion-proof coating and located in protected areas. Special care has also been taken over the arrangement of components and units (engine bay, electrical system, fuel system and brakes) that could become damaged by a fault or accident. The interior trim is fire resistant (with a flame propagation rate less than 100 mm/min) and meets tough US flame retardant standards.

Xenon headlights

Preventive safety requires outstanding visibility, even at night and in tunnels. The Alfa GT may therefore be optionally equipped with xenon headlights that offer an improved light emission quality and excellent performance in all weathers. In a gas discharge bulb, the usual internal filament is replaced by two electrodes spaced a few millimetres apart. These generate a voltaic discharge in an environment saturated with low-pressure xenon gas.

The benefits over normal halogen headlights are easy to enumerate: light intensity doubles (from 1500 to 3000 lumens); efficiency increases from 25 to 85 lumen per Watt and hours of duration also increase (from 1500 to 3000). Xenon headlights also consume less energy and distribute the light beam more effectively.

Because they emit a shade that is closer to white light, they also ensure improved visibility even though the level of illumination remains the same. Due to the improved performance offered by the system (brighter, more far-reaching light), xenon headlights are combined with an automatic ride corrector to prevent the headlights dazzling oncoming vehicles and keep the lit area constant for improved driving comfort.