Adaptive cruise - aggressive braking?
 

Just got a 18 reg V90 loaner for a few weeks and noticed that the braking on adaptive cruise is smooth and almost intelligent as it adjusts braking force very naturally according to speed.
When I got back into my 17 reg today I start to notice how harsh adaptive braking on my S90 is.
I'm hoping it's not hardware but rather software that determines this? Loaner I've got is a Momentum spec.

Just a thought. Perhaps you need to lengthen the distance at which the adaptive cruise works? Add more bars to the display in the dash. The greater the distance set, the smoother it works, basically because it has more room to do so.

Use the bottom right hand button of the steering wheel's left hand spoke control pad. This sets the time interval between you and the car in front. This, effectively, means the distance, although the distance varies with speed of course. One bar equals about 1 second between you and the car in front, which is far too short and results in sharp braking as a vehicle is gained on. Two bars is about 1.5 seconds. Still too short. Three bars about 2 seconds, which I find OK. Maximum number of bars is about 3 seconds time interval approximately, which is a fair distance and usually too far for me, but results in the smoothest braking.

For detailed instructions, which you really should not need, refer to either a downloaded manual or the one in the Sensus unit, and search for "adaptive cruise control". The controls are there, for your convenience, for your left hand thumb, just by the rest of the cruise controls.

Try it to see and report back whether this alters its behaviour.

Should mention, having read my post again, that the top right button of the left spoke cluster is the one that lengthens the time interval, in case it is not obvious.

Braking aggressiveness noticeably different in the various drive modes. Eco is best, then comfort, and dynamic gives you the full Audi experience.

Quacker - are you sure, on my car it’s the bottom right button than increases/lengthens the time/distance gap to the vehicle in front............!!!

Mine too - pressing up results in less ‘bars’ of time/ distance.

Mine does the odd hard brake to stop in a traffic queue, maybe one in 10 or so, havent sussed the difference between that and a smooth stop in the same circumstances, its not that its ran in too close or similar, my foot is mm away from the brake at these points anyway

Thanks, I will try to lengthen the follow distance. I've currently set it to the minimum as I find other settings leave too much of a gap.

It should definitely be this, I read the manual the other day (I was very bored!).

I wasnt sure when I wrote that in the early hours of the morning. Having driven the car today and taken notice specifically, I was correct the first time.
The principle remains sound.

Thought as much.
A one second gap can be construed as ‘tailgating’. A tidy gap between cars is essential for safety in an emergency stop and to leave room for overtaking cars to get back in lane on A roads.