How Mazda's i-ACTIV AWD System Takes on Winter in the Mazda CX-5

The CX-5 has the right technology to help you through all seasons, including winter driving in Canada. Mazda's engineers completely redesigned the CX-5's i-ACTIV All-Wheel Drive system to add even more safety, driving comfort, and fuel efficiency. Here, we share what i-ACTIV AWD is and how it works.

What i-ACTIV AWD does for the CX-5

This available system adjusts anywhere between full front-wheel drive and full 4-wheel drive to provide the best possible traction on any road surface. During winter, it helps keep the CX-5 steady while driving through snow and ice by transferring torque to the wheels that grip. On other poor surfaces such as dry gravel, dirt, and wet roads, it eliminates slippage. This saves energy, positively impacting fuel economy. 

How i-ACTIV AWD works 

i-ACTIV AWD uses a sophisticated group of sensors to understand what is happening on the road, in the air, and throughout the vehicle—including the driver's intentions. In a default state, it distributes almost all power to the front wheels. It continually processes all the data received from the sensors and decides how much torque to send to the rear wheels. 

Once the system detects any amount of wheel slippage, it shuts down power to the spinning wheels and sends an appropriate amount of torque to gripping wheels to counteract the loss of grip.

i-ACTIV AWD innovative technology 

One of the system's innovations is the Front-wheel Slip-warning Detection System. It features sophisticated sensors that detect a host of activities such as accelerator position, steering angle, brake fluid pressure, road surface conditions, slope gradient, and many others to include in its complex calculations. The system also determines ground and front wheel speed to calculate slippage. 

The Detection System does more than just determine slippage anomalies. The integrated Torque Control System responds instantaneously to the Detection System's commands, sending torque to where it needs to go. 

When i-ACTIV AWD is in FWD mode, it still maintains a small amount of torque in the rear-wheel drive Torque Control System. If torque needs to get to the rear wheels, this small amount gets distributed first as the remaining amount follows in. This makes the i-ACTIV AWD system instantaneous in response. 

Overall, the i-ACTIV AWD system is a great partner for winter driving. 

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