Hill Descent Control XC70 D5 AWD 2015

[Dunedin53]

As an HGV1 driver with 40 years experience I assumed that when you engage the HDC when descending a long hill (towing a caravan) that it would act like an exhaust break on artics thereby slowing you down without breaking. Obviously not. My dealer today told me I had to STOP the car (an automatic), engage 1st gear, then go. Whats the point in this????????

[wimorrison]

The HDC is ideal to use when trying to go down slippy, possibly snow covered, hills. I used to use at my old house where I needed to descend a 1:6 hill coming home at night, worked everytime.

[Sasha94]

As above, it's first and reverse only, great for low speed manoeuvres in slippy conditions

[Dunedin53]

I can understand that but it is not what I hoped it was. Thanks for your input anyway.

[Dunedin53]

Yes, I can understand that but it is not what I hoped it was. Thanks for your advice anyway.

[Simon Jones]

I've got a Land Rover with HDC and that too only works in first and reverse, and the chaps at LR seem to know what they're doing when the design such features.

The owners manual will explain exactly what the point of it is

[green van man]

Originally Posted by Simon Jones

I've got a Land Rover with HDC and that too only works in first and reverse, and the chaps at LR seem to know what they're doing when the design such features.

The owners manual will explain exactly what the point of it is

Seriously? There are some whom think they lost the plot when they abandoned leaf springs, personally I believe it was when they abandoned the 300tdi, the last one you could fix without a computer. Still each to their own.
Like Volvo they are moving to auto only on a lot of their range, another car I cannot buy, in fact my local LR dealer tried to persuade me to buy a Hyundai as you got more bang for your buck, top spec santefe £3000 cheaper than base discovery both with 7 seats and the Hyundai had manual gearbox option where the disco was auto only.

Paul.

[Rossi-fan]

I'm a bit surprised they haven't introduced some kind of engine braking system into cars similar to what modern trucks have. For those of you that know the long downhill section between Denby Dale towards Holmfirth, I've been all the way down to the T junction at the bottom without touching the brake pedal, the engine braking system holding it at 30 MPH in 8th or 9th gear, depending on the weight of the vehicle.

[apersson850]

HDC was developed for Land Rover Freelander. Since Volvo was under the same umbrella back then, they got the same system for the XC70, when the new version was introduced in 2007.

You can engage the HDC function whilst rolling, at least on my car, which is an automatic. Provided you are in first or reverse gear, of course.

I use it all the time when doing manouvers with a trailer. It works like an electronic low gear, due to the different mapping of the accelerator pedal. Makes precision control easier.