Fiddling with the steering wheel switch gear today (okay, I took the wheel off and disassembled it) I found that on my non-cruise control equipped car there is actually a set of control switches behind the blanking plate. The loom wasn't plugged in to them though.

I understand that on a relatively low volume car there will be unused elements of the fully loaded spec on cars with a basic spec - the loom for instance - but why would you fit the switches and then cover them up???

See pictures....

 

Front:

 

It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many differences in how vehicles are equipped in various national markets. I don't think there's a vehicle sold in the U.S. without cruise control, including the cheapest Hyundais and Kias. We get cruise control on the cheapest base F-Type, but no locking gas cap.

But, the answer to your query is that it is cheaper to reduce the number of parts necessary for manufacture, such as the wiring harness, even though certain things aren't hooked up.

 

I'm shocked that there were no wires, either. It probably costs them more to leave those few wires out and then have to deal with two different harnesses, etc., than to simply have one harness and then activate (or not) the cruise with the software switch that every TBW car has. AFAIK, the 2008+ Dodge Viper was the only TBW car ever sold in the U.S. that did not have cruise. I'm a cruise fanatic...I couldn't own a car without it.

 

This is common practice to reduce manufacturing costs. For example, every BMW 1 series from 08-13 had the entire rear fog light system minus the button to activate it even though no NAFTA spec cars ever got the rear fog lights.

 

I had a Hyundai i10 as a rental car one day last week - it had cruise control.

The last two cars I bought also had cruise control, but the only place I've found a use for it in the UK is in speed-controlled roadworks on motorways (we use a camera based average speed over distance system).

Now, if I were driving from Phoenix to Tucson regularly that is definitely a trip where cruise control will prevent a stiff ankle...

 

Oh the wiring was there, it just wasn't plugged in...

 

You are my hero! Bad things usually happen when I disassemble things unnecessarily! And YOU do it for sport!

 

Did you plug it in to see if it worked? If programming is needed, you can probably find someone to do that (maybe even the dealer).

 

LOL. Just did Phoenix to Sedona a few days ago in a rental VW. Cruise control was very handy.

Love the Arizona roads -- well laid out and everyone drives at a uniform speed about 10 mph over the limit.