Acura to Highlight Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ Technology Throughout Chicago Auto Show
TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Acura will showcase its groundbreaking Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) technology at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show in February, which just surpassed cumulative North American sales of one million units. The activation will include social media engagements, displays and videos about the system. Acura’s industry-first SH-AWD® technology debuted 16 years ago based on extensive research into “direct yaw control” that led to the world’s first torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system.
Featured on five of the six Acura models, SH-AWD® or Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® is available on the TLX and RLX sport sedans, RDX and MDX SUVs, and NSX supercar. Through four generations of continuous innovation Acura has raised the bar for performance-enhancing AWD. For more information on the system watch the Acura SH-AWD video.
Timed to the winter season and customers’ attendant focus on traction-enhancing technologies, Acura SH-AWD® stars in a new marketing campaign showing how Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ can make anyone a better, more confident driver: https://acura.us/SHAWD.
Acura SH-AWD® at Chicago Auto Show Press Days Schedule
- Acura at the Concept & Technology Garage: Wednesday, Feb. 5 (8:30-11:30 a.m.)
- Acura SH-AWD® vehicles: RDX and MDX PMC Edition
- Location: McCormick Place, West Building, Hall F2
- Acura SH-AWD® focus: Thursday, Feb. 6, and Friday, Feb.7
- Location: Acura Booth, McCormick Place South Exhibit Hall
- SH-AWD® Preview Presentation: Friday, Feb. 7 (10:00 a.m.)
- Head of Acura Product Planning Rob Keough to present the technology and benefits of SH-AWD®
- Location: Acura Booth, McCormick Place South Exhibit Hall
Acura SH-AWD® Key Highlights
- Acura SH-AWD® is not just about foul-weather traction. SH-AWD® uses dynamic torque vectoring to provide more accurate and predictable handling performance in all road conditions.
- Up to 70% of engine torque can be sent to the rear wheels as needed, with up to 100% of that torque apportioned to either the left or right wheels. Further, today’s SH-AWD® can overdrive the outside rear wheels by up to 2.7 percent, creating additional rotational speed that helps “pull” the car through the turn with increased grip and cornering accuracy.
- The 2020 Acura RDX features the 4th-generation SH-AWD®, the most sophisticated and capable SH-AWD® system yet, with faster response and a 40 percent increase in maximum torque capacity.
- Acura also has an advanced electronic Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® system, as featured on the NSX supercar, RLX sedan and MDX three-row luxury SUV, using twin electric motors to provide instantaneous negative (braking) and positive torque independent of the gasoline engine.
- Acura AWD sales are growing in Illinois: AWD sales in Illinois have grown 7%.
- Vast majority of Acura sales in Illinois are AWD: AWD sales now represent nearly 80% (79.1%) of all Acura sales in Illinois — compared to national average mix of 55.7%.
- Illinois is one of Acura’s top sales markets, including sales of AWD vehicles: Illinois is Acura’s #4 state for sales of AWD vehicles in the U.S.
Acura SH-AWD® History
| 1st Generation SH-AWD | |
| Applied on: | About: |
| RL (2005-2012) | The world’s first all-wheel drive platform that actively and continually distributes torque not only to enhance traction, but also to elevate cornering performance. By overdriving the rear wheels SH-AWD can provide an inward yaw moment while accelerating into and through corners. |
| 2nd Generation SH-AWD | |
| MDX (2007-2015)RDX (2007-2012)TL (2009-2014)ZDX (2010-2013) | SH-AWD is enhanced with Hill Logic that automatically adjusts the front/rear torque split based on the grade of the underlying surface as well the integration of Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and, in 2009, Traction Control Systems (TCS). The rear differential is constantly overdriven by 1.7 percent. |
| 3rd Generation SH-AWD | |
| MDX (2016-Present)TLX (2015-Present) | The 3rd generation system uses a 25-percent lighter rear differential with reduced friction and increased yaw effect. The rear differential is constantly overdriven by 2.7 percent, providing a greater torque-vectoring effect across a broader spectrum of driving conditions to further enhance cornering capability. |
| 4th Generation SH-AWD | |
| RDX (2019-Present) | The newest version of Acura’s mechanical SH-AWD is more compact, while offering 30 percent faster response and a 40 percent increase in maximum torque capacity. |
| Sport Hybrid SH-AWD | |
| RLX (2014-Present)NSX (2017-Present)MDX (2017-Present) | The first and still only electric torque-vectoring system in the world to enhance every element of dynamic performance – acceleration, braking and cornering – able to apply both positive and negative electric motor torque with instantaneous response on- and off-throttle. |
About Acura
Acura is a leading automotive luxury nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance – a commitment to evocative styling, high performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability. The Acura lineup features six distinctive models – the RLX premium luxury sedan, the TLX performance luxury sedan, the ILX sport sedan, the five-passenger RDX luxury crossover SUV, the seven-passenger Acura MDX, America’s all-time best-selling three-row luxury SUV, and the next-generation, electrified NSX supercar.
Five of the six Acura models sold in North America are made in central Ohio, using domestic and globally-sourced parts, including the ILX and TLX luxury sports sedans (Marysville Auto Plant), the RDX and MDX luxury SUVs (East Liberty Auto Plant) and the Acura NSX supercar, which is built to order at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio.
Additional media information including pricing, features & specifications and high-resolution photography is available at Acuranews.com. Consumer information is available at Acura.com. Follow Acura on social media at Acura.us/SocialChannels.
SOURCE Acura
