2020 Mazda3: i-ACTIV Makes All the Difference
February 21 2020,
Often, there are so many in-car technologies that as drivers we never really feel these systems working for and with us as we drive our vehicles. Take AWD for example; it might only be noticable when conditions are tricky and you need that extra bit of control and stability. And these days, every manufacturer has their own specific name for all-wheel drive, so it can get complicated.
Well, Mazda has had their AWD system in select vehicles since 2013, when it first integrated the i-ACTIV system in their CX-5 crossover. Since then, the system has trickled down into a host of other Mazda vehicles, including most recently the Mazda3 hatchback. But, what is it exactly and how does it work?
In super simple terms, i-ACTIV is an all-wheel drive system. That means, all four wheels spin and work to help keep your vehicle grounded and stable, regardless of the conditions. But there’s more to Mazda’s specific system than that.
The i-ACTIV technology is an on-demand system that features sensors that check the road conditions 200 times every second. What are those sensors checking exactly? Well, they are monitoring things like wiper use, engine load, exterior temperature, the amount of torque needed to turn the wheel, and whether or not the vehicle is on a hill. All of this will let the car, like the Mazda3 with i-ACTIV, know what conditions its driving on; rain, snow, dry. And then the i-ACTIV system will adjust accordingly to keep car and driver safe and steady on the road ahead.
The i-ACTIV system also ensures torque is split as evenly as possible between front and rear wheels to prevent slippage and to offer a smooth, even ride at all times, regardless of road conditions.
Another impressive feature of Mazda’s i-ACTIV on-demand system is determining driver intent. In essence, your i-ACTIV-equipped Mazda3 will be learning how you drive while you drive. It will determine driver input by sensing how hard you press the throttle, how quickly you apply the brakes, how sharply you turn the wheel or not, and it will use all of this information to provide optimal control.
To find out more about the i-ACTIV all-wheel drive system offered on the Mazda3 (and other Mazda models), head down to your local Guelph City Mazda to speak to one of our experts. And now is the perfect time of year to book a test drive to really see how i-ACTIV performs in snowy, wintery conditions.
