Volvo cars celebrates 20 years of mechanical all-wheel drive (AWD) system. Over the years, the AWD technology has improved and now it offers better handling, stability and traction to provide better handling, stability and traction to provide confident, agile and enjoyable driving experience better with improved fuel efficiency figures.
The automaker believes that electrification will get more flexibility to the AWD system and the signs of its success in the XC90 T8 Twin Engine, which has an electric rear-axle drive unit which powers the rear wheels. Speaking about the future developments, the Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research and Development at Volvo Cars said, “As we move to full-battery electric vehicles and other powertrain applications, we will see increased opportunities to control each motor and wheel independently, based on either the surface conditions or the desired driving style.”
Owing to advanced development in AWD technology, the weight of mechanical systems has come down considerably. The ‘Active On Demand’ technology in the vehicle engages all four wheels allows instant torque distribution to rear wheels when needed. Adding further, Henrik Green said, “We understand the needs of our customers. We understand the need for a flexible AWD solution that quickly and automatically adapts to different real-world, all-weather circumstances. AWD is as much a safety feature as it is a vehicle dynamics system, and we are committed to delivering a confident, balanced and enjoyable driving experience that delivers a feeling of full control.”
Of the total new 90 series car orders, the company claims that more than 50 per cent of it is for the all-wheel-drive variant. As for other Volvo models, the figure is more than 40 per cent.
