Matrix LED lights – What they do and how they work

One of the most useful features in new-age vehicles is Matrix LED headlights, which offer exceptional visibility at night and, more often than not, good-looking daytime running lights that lend your car extra flair.

It’s a key selling point in many high-end rides and worth looking out for on a brochure if you’re budget is anywhere close to the R1-million mark.

How they work

Matrix LED lights consist of several smaller LED sections that appear to be one large unit, which are capable of switching on and off individually through a “Matrix controller” – as opposed to the more traditional light clusters that comprise a single lighting component that is either completely off or completely on.

These headlights talk with the vehicle’s forward-facing camera which consistently scans the area in front of the car for traffic.

If the camera senses an oncoming vehicle, the Matrix LED headlights are capable of creating a “light tunnel” by tracking another car and dimming the necessary sections, whilst keeping the rest of the headlight on bright for maximum visibility.

Ford Everest Matrix LED Light Assembly

What they do

The main benefit of Matrix LED headlights is that they allow the driver to essentially “set and forget” these fixtures and focus more on driving than adjusting their lights.

Usually automatic in nature, these lights sense when it gets dark and turn themselves on, and at certain speeds and if there are no oncoming cars, they autonomously switch to high beams for increased visibility.

The discerning ability of Matrix LEDs as opposed to standard LED lights is that they are then able to remain on bright should a car approach from the front, whilst dimming portions of the light in order to avoid blinding the driver of the other vehicle.

The main downside to these headlights, however, is that they are expensive to get and even more so to replace.

For example, the Jaguar I-Pace at R2,444,500 comes standard with Matrix LED headlights which cost R51,137 per side to replace in 2021, according to the Automobile Association’s Spare Parts Pricing Guide.

As such, if you want the best headlights in the game, prepare to pay a pretty penny to get them, and if you’re already planning on doing so, make sure you don’t get a car without them.

Audi Matrix LED headlights