Headlights are, and always will be, an integral part of the vehicle. More luxurious and expensive vehicle already offer their own lighting solutions to increase night-time visibility and offer greater safety. But, vehicles for the average consumer have yet to see a substantial improvement in headlight design, something Opel has taken note of, and addressed.
Welcome to the first compact vehicle to feature such advanced technology.
The 2016 Opel Astra will debut with a patented Opel technology, titled IntelliLux Matrix headlights. The IntelliLux headlights consist of 16 LED segments, eight on each side of the 2016 Astra, where the matrix system automatically adapts the length and distribution of the light beam to every traffic situation. The headlights work in concert with the Opel Eye front camera to detect oncoming vehicles with sources of light.
What does all of that really mean? Individual LEDs in the matrix will automatically cut out if the camera detects that particular LED will cause glare and blind an oncoming vehicle, therefore allowing the greatest capacity of light for the driver, while providing no glare for oncoming traffic, normally associated with high beams.
“We are democratizing technology by making innovations affordable and bringing them to high volume vehicles. Our new LED matrix light, IntelliLux, is a perfect example. With the introduction of this lighting technology to the Compact Vehicle Class, Opel is the first automaker to offer this highly efficient and high performance lighting system in this segment. Our integration of the LED Technology provides outstanding night time performance enhancing safety for the driver and those around them,” says Charlie Klein, Vice President Vehicle Engineering at Opel.
The 2016 Astra will automatically flip the high beams on upon exiting urban areas, and they will remain on, while the Opel Eye camera constantly scans and adapts the headlights for the greatest performance. The 2016 Astra will also be the first vehicle to utilize this technology, and not require satellite navigation to inform the car it has exited urban areas.
While these are the upfront benefits of this technology, this changes the way designers can look at the shape and style of the headlamp itself. Previously, old housings and bulbs made larger surface areas than needed, to ensure the components safety. Now, the small LEDs used here can allow for a more delicate, sculpted look, as you can see in the photo provided.
The 2016 Opel Astra will debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, where we await more information on the latest in Opel technology.
Comments
Sadly these forms of headlights are not approved by the DOT in the US and Canada and we won’t see them here for a long time if at all.