Hyundai All-Wheel Drive System
Traditionally, all-wheel drive systems employ the use of all four tires on the vehicle, thus making the vehicle drive better in adverse weather conditions but at the expense of efficiency (AKA uses more fuel). Hyundai wanted a better way to deploy an all-wheel drive system, one that gave drivers the advantage of all-wheel drive without giving up efficiency in the process. And somehow, Hyundai was able to do that. Because Hyundai's all-wheel drive system is a bit different, some folks wonder exactly how Hyundai was able to make an all-wheel drive vehicle so efficient.
How Does Hyundai All-Wheel Drive Work?
From here on out, you can know that the official name of the Hyundai all-wheel drive system is the HTRAC All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System. It's different, and that's a good thing. You have Hyundai to thank for this bit of ingenuity and efficiency. All-wheel drive is all about increasing the traction your vehicle has (AKA the ability it has to deal with adverse, sometimes slippery, weather conditions). The Hyundai HTRAC AWD system increases efficiency by keeping the system "always on," but giving the driver five different modes to choose from:
- Comfort
- Smart
- Sport
- Snow
- ECO
When you're in smart mode, power is going mostly to the front wheels, and this gives you great fuel efficiency. Sport mode is somewhere in between, splitting power 50/50 between front and rear tires. Comfort gives you the greatest degree of confidence in adverse weather conditions, putting 80% of your power to the front and 20% to the rear wheels. Snow mode enhances traction by distributing power to all four wheels prior to the onset of slippage. It also initiates acceleration from a stationary position using 2nd gear to enhance control. Finally, ECO mode optimally allocates torque between the front and rear axles to enhance efficiency while minimizing torque during acceleration to save fuel.
Of course, you can always go for total all-wheel drive, and this is what drivers will want to choose if they're in an area of the country that has a lot of rain or snow frequently (you can always switch back and forth to different modes until you're comfortable in any given condition). What Hyundai has done has given drivers a way to override the sometimes fuel-burning inefficiency of total all-wheel drive and split all-wheel drive in a more customized way, depending on the weather conditions. The result is that you're going to use a lot less fuel if you choose to use these different driving modes, and so you get the power of all-wheel drive when you need it most, and you can save fuel by choosing one of the other driving modes for times when you don't need to power your way through a snowstorm.
Learn More About Hyundai HTRAC All-Wheel Drive
Hyundai has done a very helpful and efficient thing by designing its all-wheel drive system. Granted, not all Hyundai models are equipped with this all-wheel drive system, and you can still find vehicles that are just front-wheel drive with none of these options. If you want to take advantage of Hyundai's innovative All-Wheel Drive system, you'll need to find a model that has this system either standard or as an option. If you're interested in a vehicle with this type of technology, just contact our dealership today to learn more about which models have the Hyundai HTRAC AWD System equipped. We'll help you find the vehicle that best suits not only your preferences for what a vehicle should look like but also comes with this innovative all-wheel drive system equipped!
