Photo: Mazda
Even for those customers who don’t really need it, all-wheel-drive is an enticing prospect. The simple thought of all four wheels working together to offer maximum traction heartens the driver with added confidence, even though the most off-road action the car will see is a bit of green laning.
When it comes to Mazda, you will be hard pressed to find an all-wheel-drive option on models that aren’t crossovers or SUVs. There is one exception to the rule - the Japanese market - where i-Activ AWD is also offered in the subcompact 2, compact 3, and mid-size 6.
In the United States, Mazda limits all-wheel-drive to the CX-3, CX-5, and CX-9, which begs a bit of a question from people who aren’t in the market for a utility vehicle. On the sidelines of the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, president of Mazda North America, Masahiro Moro, acknowledged that there is huge demand for an AWD option in this part of the world.
“Four-wheel-drive becomes a premium queue for U.S. consumers, and obviously I have asked our R&D department to think about how we can accommodate four-wheel-drive capability in the future,” he told Car Advice, but don’t expect any change to take place in the next model year.
Moro highlights that Mazda can’t combine i-Activ AWD with the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in sedan applications such as the 2018 Mazda6, so that’s that. Come 2019, the SkyActiv-Body 2 and SkyActiv-Chassis 2 will hopefully allow Mazda to integrated AWD in its sedans.
i-Activ AWD can transfer as much as 50 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear axle with the help of a power coupler about the size of a coffee can. The amount of torque sent to the rearmost wheels depends on the level of current flowing through electromagnets that lock a cylinder full of clutches.
To ensure a quick response time, the Torque Control System transfers a small amount of torque to the rear even when the Front-wheel Slip-warning Detection System doesn’t detect any slippage. This “stand-by torque” feature helps i-Activ AWD transition from FWD to AWD at a moment’s notice, as smoothly as possible.
In the United States, Mazda limits all-wheel-drive to the CX-3, CX-5, and CX-9, which begs a bit of a question from people who aren’t in the market for a utility vehicle. On the sidelines of the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, president of Mazda North America, Masahiro Moro, acknowledged that there is huge demand for an AWD option in this part of the world.
“Four-wheel-drive becomes a premium queue for U.S. consumers, and obviously I have asked our R&D department to think about how we can accommodate four-wheel-drive capability in the future,” he told Car Advice, but don’t expect any change to take place in the next model year.
Moro highlights that Mazda can’t combine i-Activ AWD with the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in sedan applications such as the 2018 Mazda6, so that’s that. Come 2019, the SkyActiv-Body 2 and SkyActiv-Chassis 2 will hopefully allow Mazda to integrated AWD in its sedans.
i-Activ AWD can transfer as much as 50 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear axle with the help of a power coupler about the size of a coffee can. The amount of torque sent to the rearmost wheels depends on the level of current flowing through electromagnets that lock a cylinder full of clutches.
To ensure a quick response time, the Torque Control System transfers a small amount of torque to the rear even when the Front-wheel Slip-warning Detection System doesn’t detect any slippage. This “stand-by torque” feature helps i-Activ AWD transition from FWD to AWD at a moment’s notice, as smoothly as possible.
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