I'm up inMontreal this week, driving an assortment of new products from Acura. What's notable about the new MDX, RDX and RL models is that they share a new technology the automaker calls Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive.
A mouthful, no question, and it would take quite a while to describe exactly how this specific technology works. What's significant is Acura's increasing commitment to the concept of all-wheel drive (AWD).
There was a time, not all that long ago, that this technology and its close cousin, four-wheel drive, were found only on sport-utility vehicles, pickups, and other light trucks. Today, it's becoming common on a variety of products, including sedans, crossovers, and even sports cars.
There's no single explanation, but clearly, folks got used to it driving their SUVs, discovering that all-wheel drive provides a degree of safety, security, and even better performance than conventional front or rear-wheel-drive.
With demand growing, more and more manufacturers are offering all or four-wheel drive. It's effectively standard equipment for some brands, including Audi and Subaru, and becoming much more common with others, like Lexus. And in many cases, prices are falling as competition heats up.
;)
