The 2023 Mazda CX-30 is all About AWD and Safety
October 11 2022,
AWD. More and more vehicles are making use of this technology, but there are many ways to implement it and it helps to differentiate one manufacturer’s AWD system for another.
In Mazda’s case, they are now offering their AWD system on almost eery vehicle they produce, including the CX-30 compact crossover. It receives Mazda’s innovative i-Activ AWD system that can sense road conditions below as well as read a driver’s inputs to provide the most responsive and confidence-inspiring drive possible. The system monitors road conditions 200 times per second and takes into account everything from wiper settings, to exterior temperature and on to how frequently a driver is accelerating or braking and changes its response based on all that. It’s also a full-time system, meaning there is always some power being sent to each wheel to allow for the quickest response time possible.
This also helps with fuel economy, as the system determines how to provide maximum traction in adverse conditions and only using as much torque as is required to provide safe progress.
It’s not all about power split to the wheels, however; the CX-30 also features something called G-vectoring control, which reduces throttle input when the driver turns the wheel to help bring more weight over the front wheels, and more traction as a result. Not only does it provide more traction, but improves occupant comfort as well.
Of course, as much as the CX-30’s AWD system helps provide an added safety blanket, its i-Activesense suite of safety features takes it over the top. I-Activesense includes forward obstruction warning, adaptive radar-base cruise control, active high beam assist, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning system, bind spot monitoring system, Smart City Brake Support and Smart Brake Support.
The first seven tools are fairly self-explanatory, the last two somewhat less so: both are auto-braking systems, but that work in different circumstances. Smart City Brake Support works when travelling at slower – read, “city” – speeds up to about 30 km/h. The brakes are primed so that if you’re forced to panic brake, maximum braking force is applied and if you aren’t going to brake at all, it will do it for you.
Smart Brake Support, meanwhile, works at higher – read, “highway” – speeds, the brakes will intervene to avoid an accident if they feel the driver isn’t going to.
