Section 152 (Rear Driveline Module): Operation: Operation
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2016 Jeep Renegade. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The primary benefits of All Wheel Drive (AWD) with a Rear Drive Unit (RDU) are:
- Superior straight line acceleration, and cornering on all surfaces.
- Better traction and handling under adverse conditions, resulting in improved hill climbing ability and safer driving.
The AWD system intelligently anticipates/selects front, or AWD in varying torque splits based on conditions, driving style and on a host of "triggers" such as:
- Input to vehicle switches/interfaces such as gear selection; ESC button actuation; wiper settings; and temperature settings
- Environmental influences such as surface grade; vehicle speed; launch characteristics; and relating ESC events
- Dynamic factors including wheel slip; detection of understeer/oversteer; steering angle rate; and acceleration/deceleration rates
Based on all these inputs and more, the system is capable of anticipating, and then delivering infinitely variable amounts of torque combinations between the front and rear driven wheels at launch, all in milliseconds and without driver intervention or feedback.