Adaptive cruise control, optional on many new vehicles today, is one of the latest advanced car safety features. It’s very similar to cruise control, which allows you to set your car to a certain speed. However, the systems offered by automakers like Hyundai use radars to determine when neighboring cars get too close.

Hyundai vehicles also have their own version of adaptive cruise control named Hyundai Smart Cruise Control. Is there anything that makes it better than regular adaptive cruise control? Here’s what the folks at Rosen Hyundai have to say.

All the Hyundai Smart Cruise Control’s features

Since it’s a cruise control system, you can set Hyundai Smart Cruise control at a specific highway speed. It doesn’t mean the car can drive itself, but that’s less pressure that you have to apply to the accelerator. It’s a useful feature to have for road trips, especially if you easily get sore limbs.

Hyundai Smart Cruise Control also has the same elements of adaptive cruise control. The radar system emits waves that reflect off of the car in front of yours, detecting its speed. If the preceding car speeds up or slows down, the Smart Cruise Control adjusts your vehicle’s speed accordingly. It also has a Stop and Go setting, which tracks the driving behaviors of cars around you during traffic.

If the car ahead of you stops unexpectedly, the Smart Cruise Control brakes itself as well. The radar waves are so fast that there’s no delay between the data received from the radars and the resulting functions. Oftentimes, humans can’t react as quickly in emergency situations, resulting in fender benders or collisions. The Cruise Control button is located on the steering wheel, so it’s easy to engage or disengage at a moment’s notice.

The Smart Cruise Control’s radars also won’t be limited by hazardous weather conditions, such as heavy rain or fog. Rosen Hyundai also boasts that Smart Cruise Control is highly reliable, even inspiring some new lunar excursion technology.

What makes Hyundai Smart Cruise Control different?

Many of the functions offered on Smart Cruise Control can be found on any adaptive cruise control system. However, the Hyundai software offers one really useful perk: the front-mounted radars can still work when the vehicle’s grille gets dirty. Wintery conditions can cause your car’s grille to become covered in snow and slush, which can be hard to remove.

If you’re driving during a blizzard, you can’t really keep your grille clean as you’re driving. Adaptive cruise control is essential in severe weather conditions, especially when drivers around you might struggle to see clearly. Hyundai Smart Control is also usually included in its cars’ standard features, whereas other automakers might make you pay extra.

Which vehicles have Hyundai Smart Cruise control?

Many of the latest Hyundai vehicles have Smart Cruise control, including the 2021 Hyundai Sonata. It also has a nice collection of other standard safety features, like driver drowsiness monitoring, forward automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. Higher trims can have blind-spot monitors, sensing any vehicle driving above 20 mph.

The Hyundai Sonata also benefits from two engine options, with great gas mileage for the base trim. The cabin feels luxurious, but taller passengers in the backseat might not have enough legroom.

The Hyundai Palisade is more spacious, able to seat up to eight riders. The first two rows are incredibly roomy, and even the third row can accommodate some adults. It only has one engine choice, but it packs enough horsepower to keep this SUV moving quickly.

Critics also report it handles well despite the added weight over its sedan siblings. Like the Sonata, the Palisade includes Hyundai Smart Cruise control in its generous library of standard driver’s aids.