All-wheel drive (AWD) is a system that allows a car, truck, or SUV to send power to all four wheels when its needed. AWD is designed for paved roads but can handle some light-duty off-roading. AWD is a transparent system that shuffles engine power back and forth between the front and rear wheels. AWD connects your vehicles engines to the front and rear wheels, but most AWD cars and SUVs can change the amount of power being sent to the front or back wheels, and can even disconnect power from one set of wheels entirely. This is called “part-time all-wheel drive,” and it’s the most common type of AWD. Most mainstream small and medium SUVs, like the Honda CR-V and Toyota Highlander, primarily send power to their front wheels. When they’re equipped with AWD, they use sensors to monitor whether the front wheels are slipping and engage all-wheel drive to compensate.
AWD is useful in snow and ice, but it is less known that AWD can also help on dry roads or when undergoing weather conditions listed above. AWD can assist you in faster acceleration with all four wheels offering power and traction, making some sports cars gravitate towards AWD. The Kia Stinger GTS, for example, adopted a dynamic AWD system that includes a drift mode, attracting drivers who enjoy fun driving. While the model incorporates the AWD system from the usual Stinger, it differs by sending certain amounts of power to the rear wheels when its Sport mode is activated. Meanwhile, the electronic AWD system has increasingly been applied to luxury car brands to maintain stable driving performance and to improve fuel efficiency. This system transmits most of its power to the rear wheels during normal driving conditions, such as on a dry road. But, when faced with an icy road, the vehicle automatically distributes torque to the front and rear to maintain stability.
In summary, AWD is a system that allows a vehicle to drive all four wheels to compensate for a loss of traction. It is useful in snow and ice, but it can also help on dry roads or when undergoing weather conditions listed above. AWD can assist you in faster acceleration with all four wheels offering power and traction, making some sports cars gravitate towards AWD.
