Posted on Wednesday 11 July 2007
Though perhaps not as impressive as Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control system pegged for the Evo X, Saab’s new XWD co-developed with Haldex still has a few merits of its own that are worth mentioning. Set to debut in the facelifted 9-3 range, XWD and its electronic differential will improve safety levels of the updated Saab and should also make it more fun to drive.
The intelligent AWD system can sense how much the vehicle is slipping within a fraction of a second and continuously adapts torque distribution to maintain traction and vehicle stability. The torque can be distributed independently between the front and rear axles and to each individual wheel. Up to 85% of torque can be sent to an individual wheel and during low load conditions, 96% of drive will go through the front wheels to improve fuel economy.
This is in fact the fourth generation of Haldex’s AWD system, and the first Saab model to be equipped with XWD will be the 280hp V6 Aero, which also ranks as one of the first family cars to feature an electronic-diff.
