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The torsion beam type of rear suspension has been adopted by most manufacturers of small to medium front wheel drive passenger cars. This is primarily for reasons of cost, packaging and functionality. However, with a torsion beam, there is a compromise between handling performance and ride refinement. A typical torsion beam set to give optimum handling has insufficient longitudinal wheel compliance to give good ride and NVH performance, and when set to give optimum ride and NVH performance suffers from significant levels of lateral compliance oversteer. Some of the compromises inherent in a simple torsion beam rear suspension may be ameliorated by the addition of extra links into the system; such solutions include the addition of a panhard rod or of toe-control links. However, such solutions incur additional cost, and the additional space used may be unacceptable from a packaging viewpoint.

This paper is an overview of the top level trade-offs in radar system design for application to cars and trucks for the purpose of safety enhancement. Rear looking, forward looking, and side zone systems are covered where the application requirements versus design choices are discussed in detail. Performance capabilities available in modem low cost radars are given, and the necessity of each capability is considered for the various applications.