It can be quite confusing when it comes to buying a car or getting it services with all of the different terms that you just know are important but their meaning has never really been explained. Here is a guide to some of the more common words and acronyms you may come across, such as when you are looking for car insurance quotes or looking over an inspection report from your mechanic.
ABS: This is antilock braking, which essentially stops your car from skidding when the brakes are slammed on, such as in an emergency. It helps pull the car up in the shortest possible distance without losing traction and is also highly effective on loose surfaces, such as gravel, and roads made slippery by ice and rain.
ESC: Stands for Electronic Stability Control and its job is to keep the vehicle stable during sudden manoeuvres. It uses sensors which then apply subtle pressure to individual brakes to prevent the car from fish-tailing and losing control. It is also effective on gravel and slippery surfaces.
TCS: This stands for Traction Control System and is another automated safety feature on some modern cars which helps keep control in sudden situations. Essentially ECS measures wheel rotation and can adjust power or braking when it senses the car is losing traction, especially on loose and slippery surfaces.
EFI: Electronic Fuel Injection has replaced carburettors as the way fuel is delivered to engines. It is a more efficient system and its benefits include smoother acceleration, better engine response and improved fuel efficiency because it injects atomised fuel into the engine.
2WD, 4WD, AWD, FWD, RWD: It can be a little confusing when you see all of these but all they are doing is telling you which wheels drive the car. 2WD is two-wheel drive, 4WD is four-wheel drive; AWD is all-wheel drive (not to be confused with 4WD as the front and rear wheels do not have equal drive all the time); FWD is front-wheel drive; and RWD is rear-wheel drive. All have their benefits and in different vehicles and situations.
A/C: Otherwise known as air-conditioning, it’s what keeps you cool in summer! Running the A/C in your can increases fuel consumption, so it’s worth using it only when it’s really needed. It can also be used in winter – if the windscreen is fogged up, turn on the A/C using the vents that put air directly onto the windscreen and it will clear in no time at all.
GPS: This is the most popular after-market gizmo in cars these days and stands for Global Positioning System. It is also known as sat nav or in-car navigation. Using preloaded maps and satellites, it can be used to plot routes and pinpoint your location. Be warned though – they are a popular target for thieves, so make sure if you have one it can included on your car insurance policy.
kW, Nm: These two are a measurement of an engine’s power and torque. The power is measured in kilowatts (kW) and is usually seen as a figure such as 145kW, which represents how much power it produces (this measurement replaced the old horsepower). Torque, which is the car’s low-down grunt that gives it the ability to tow and tackle tough terrain, is measured in Newton metres (Nm) and is also represented by a figure (340Nm). In both of these cases, the higher the number, the more power or torque there is.
ANCAP Safety Rating: This is used in Australia to measure how safe a vehicle is. All new vehicles undergo an ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) crash test and are given a star rating out of five – the higher the rating, the safer the car. It takes into account such things as structural integrity, airbags, antilock braking and traction control.
