Acura will showcase its Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system (SH-AWD) at the Chicago Auto Show this week, after surpassing cumulative North American sales of one million units.
SH-AWD debuted 16 years ago on the 2005 RL and is now featured on five of the six available Acura models – TLX and RLX sport sedans, RDX and MDX crossovers and the NSX supercar. SH-AWD is now in its 4th generation.
Key highlights regarding Acura’s SH-AWD technology include the use of dynamic torque vectoring to provide more accurate and predictable handling performance in all road conditions. In fact, up to 70% of the engine’s torque can be sent to the rear wheels when needed, with up to 100% of that torque directed to either the left or right wheels.
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Furthermore, SH-AWD can overdrive the outside rear wheels by up to 2.7%, thus creating “additional rotational speed that helps pull the car through the turn with increased grip and cornering accuracy.”
The 2020 Acura RDX comes with the latest generation of SH-AWD, featuring a faster response time and a 40% increase in maximum torque capacity. The Japanese brand also has an advanced electronic Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system, found on the NSX, RLX and MDX. It works by using twin electric motors that provide instantaneous negative braking and positive torque.
As for why Acura chose the Chicago Auto Show to pay tribute to SH-AWD, well, AWD sales now represent nearly 80% of all Acura sales in the state of Illinois, compared to a national average of 55.7%. Illinois also happens to be Acura’s no.4 state in terms of vehicle sales in the U.S.