The Front Assist is a collision-alert safety system. Faced with an unavoidable collision, it applies the brakes to minimise the consequences. It also performs an emergency stop if a pedestrian or cyclist dangerously attempts to cross the path of the car.

In a critical situation where Front Assist intervenes by braking and the driver indicates they are taking evasive action by the way they move the steering wheel, Collision Avoidance Assist makes targeted interventions in the steering to help drive around the obstacle.

Turn Assist, supplied as part of Front Assist, is designed to monitor an oncoming vehicle when you are turning left (in a left-hand drive), for example when you are at a junction. If there is an immediate danger, it brings the vehicle to a complete standstill and triggers the warning signal.

Thanks to two radar sensors at the rear of the car, the Side Assist detects vehicles approaching from behind or that are in the car’s blind spot. You are informed of this using an LED signal on the inside of the wing mirror housings. Side Assist can detect vehicles up to 70 m away and thus also effectively warns you of hazardous situations on motorways and dual carriageways.

This new safety feature is another of Side Assist’s complementary functions. Exit Warning visually and acoustically warns you and other passengers, when, for example, you are exiting a parallel parked car, if opening the door could result in a collision with another vehicle, a cyclist or an electric scooter. Exit Warning makes use of Side Assist’s rear radars and monitors the area behind and along the sides of the car up to a distance of 35 m.

The system pre-tensions the front seat belts in the event of imminent collision or in unstable driving situations and engages with the ESC to close the side windows almost fully in order to prevent foreign objects from entering the vehicle. The system works with the front and rear radars and the rollover sensor.

If a Octavia RS is involved in an accident and the airbags are activated, it could remain in motion and cause another accident, which is where the Multi-Collision Brake comes in, bringing the vehicle to a standstill to prevent a pile-up.