•  AFL LED headlamps deliver optimum nighttime visibility without dazzling other drivers

• Nine individual lighting functions for safer driving in towns and the countryside at night

• Energy consumption in start/stop further reduced by Stop Mode Light  

Optimum visibility without dazzling others. With AFL LED, Opel is bringing the benefits of adaptive forward lighting and full LED headlamps to vans and sport utility vehicles in the compact market segment. The optional AFL LED headlamps offered by the new Opel Zafira and Opel Mokka X produce a bright white light that effectively turns night into day and automatically adapt to the driving situation. AFL LED features nine individual functions or lighting patterns such as Town Light, Country Light and Stop Mode Light, which not only optimize visibility but also save energy.

With AFL LED headlamps on the new Mokka X (photo) and Zafira, Opel is bringing the benefits of adaptive forward lighting and full LED technology to the compact SUV and van market segments. (All photos courtesy of Opel)

“The widespread availability of intelligent LED technology is the best way to significantly reduce the risks of nighttime driving,” says William F. Bertagni, Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Europe at Opel. “The new Opel Zafira and the Opel Mokka X with their optional AFL LED headlamps are important steps towards realizing this potential.”

Driving at night is one of the most dangerous things people can do. According to the ADAC German automobile club, almost 30 percent of fatal accidents occur at night¹. Human beings are diurnal, i.e. we are active during the day, and we sleep at night. It is not natural for us to be on the road in the dark.

As the automaker that traditionally puts customers first, Opel long ago recognized the risks of nighttime driving to car drivers and other road users. Opel was the first automobile manufacturer to bring adaptive forward lighting (AFL) with bi-xenon headlamps to the midsize market in 2003. The Opel Astra was the first compact car with cornering light in 2004, followed by the Zafira in 2005. True to its tradition of democratizing advanced technology, Opel then made halogen headlamp-based AFL available for the first time in the Corsa in 2006. Opel now offers AFL in almost every passenger car model and the introduction of the next generation has begun: IntelliLux LED Matrix Light, which takes LED technology to the highest level, made its world premiere in the compact class last year on the new Opel Astra.

AFL LED for Mokka X and Zafira. The optional AFL LED headlamps offered by the new Opel Mokka X (photo) and Zafira produce a bright white light that effectively turns night into day and automatically adapt to the driving situation. (All photos courtesy of Opel)

The new Zafira and the Mokka X, with adaptive forward lighting and full LED functionality for all headlamp and signal functions, mark the next milestone in the rollout of LED at Opel. Like the Astra’s matrix system, AFL LED also delivers the benefits of adaptive forward lighting without the moving elements. However, instead of switching LEDs on or off in a variety of combinations, AFL LED adapts to the driving situation and the presence of other road users by automatically changing the lighting pattern of the headlamps.

The optional AFL LED headlamps have nine functions. At speeds above 55 km/h, Country Light improves illumination of the road and the verges when driving in rural areas. The range of illumination in the driving lane is longer, while the distribution of light on the offside is lower to prevent dazzling of oncoming traffic. In addition, the improved illumination of the roadside verges enables earlier recognition of potentially dangerous objects (e.g. animals).

The optional AFL LED headlamps offered by the new Opel Zafira (photo) and Mokka X produce a bright white light that effectively turns night into day and automatically adapt to the driving situation.

In curves or when cornering, AFL LED activates Cornering/Curve Light, which switches on an additional left or right LED that illuminates the road in the direction of travel, depending on the steering angle or turn signal. Cornering/Curve Light switches on automatically at speeds under 40 km/h when the turn signals are in use and/or the steering angle changes from the straight-ahead position and crosses a certain threshold. Cornering/Curve Light switches off when signaling stops and the steering is in the straight-ahead position and is active up to a maximum speed of 70 km/h.

At speeds under 55 km/h, AFL LED automatically activates Town Light. Compared with Country Light, the beam is closer to an area near the car and wider at the sides thanks to the cornering lights operating at reduced intensity. The improved illumination helps the driver to see the sides of the road and avoid potential accidents, e.g. with children or pedestrians.

Top: At speeds above 55 km/h, Country Light improves illumination of the road ahead and the verges when driving in rural areas. The improved illumination of the roadside verges enables earlier recognition of potentially dangerous objects. Bottom: In curves or when cornering, Cornering/Curve Light switches on an additional left or right LED that illuminates the road in the direction of travel, depending on the steering angle or turn signal.

Maneuvering Light illuminates the area around the vehicle when driving or reversing into a parking space, or leaving the parking spot. In this mode, the cornering lights shine at reduced intensity when the driver selects reverse gear. Maneuvering Light remains active for 20 seconds after disengaging reverse gear or until the car drives faster than 7.0 km/h in a forward gear.

Tourist Mode (for countries where driving is on the other side of the road), High Beam, Daytime Running Lights and High Beam Assist (automatic activation/deactivation of high beam depending on presence of other vehicles) complete the menu of AFL LED functions that improve visibility.

The optional AFL LED headlamps of the new Opel Zafira and Opel Mokka X not only enhance safety. Compared with other lighting technologies, LED also requires significantly less energy. The Opel AFL LED headlamps take this inherent advantage a step further by automatically activating Stop Mode Light when the vehicle’s start/stop system has stopped the engine. In this mode, the cornering lights switch off while the low beam stays on, reducing the energy consumption of the headlamps.