{"id":156743,"date":"2020-11-20T11:23:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T16:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.net\/\/?p=156743"},"modified":"2021-01-18T07:25:46","modified_gmt":"2021-01-18T12:25:46","slug":"acura-sh-awd-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.automoblog.net\/acura-sh-awd-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Acura SH-AWD Explained: What Is It & How Does It Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Like other all-wheel-drive systems, Acura\u2019s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) distributes engine power to the front and rear wheels. Four spinning wheels instead of two means having increased traction in all road conditions, including wet tarmac, loose surfaces, and snow-covered pavement. However, the similarity between SH-AWD a conventional all-wheel drive (AWD) system ends there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Super Handling\u2019 part adds torque vectoring between the left and rear wheels. Unlike conventional AWD systems, SH-AWD adjusts the torque being sent to either the left and right rear wheels, depending on the driving condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are currently two versions of Acura\u2019s SH-AWD system: mechanical (for conventional gasoline-powered vehicles) and hybrid electric. In this guide, we\u2019ll talk about both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is SH-AWD?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive is an automatic, full-time all-wheel-drive system on some Acura and Honda vehicles.<\/strong> First introduced in the 2005 Acura RL and the Honda Legend in Japan, SH-AWD has undergone a few iterations over the years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first-gen SH-AWD system in the Acura RL transferred 70 percent of the available power to the front and 30 percent to the rear. Additionally, it can redirect up to 70 percent of the available power to the rear wheels as needed, but it does more than that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here comes the torque vectoring part. Acura\u2019s SH-AWD can even feed 100-percent of power to either the left or right rear wheel while continuously varying the torque distribution between the front and rear wheels in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"SH-AWD\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The system can feed 90-percent of power to the front wheels at straight and steady cruising. And all of this happens seamlessly and instantaneously without the driver even knowing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acura\u2019s SH-AWD made other carmakers think twice about their respective AWD systems. It inspired Audi to incorporate a similar torque-vectoring system for its Quattro All-Wheel-Drive system back in 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most powerful version of mechanical SH-AWD is the fourth-generation system in the 2019 Acura RDX<\/a>. It transfers power between the front and rear wheels much quicker while having 40 percent more torque capacity at the rear axle. Additionally, the latest generation SH-AWD transfers power between the left and right rear wheels 30 percent quicker than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best example of the latest-generation SH-AWD is found in the 2021 Acura TLX<\/a> Type S. Based on Acura\u2019s existing fourth-gen SH-AWD hardware, the TLX Type R has a rear-biased system. It sends up to 70-percent of engine torque to the rear axle, but it can shift 100 percent of available torque to either the left or rear wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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