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Buick Is Getting a Ford Focus RS-Esque Torque Vectoring All-Wheel Drive System
Buick Is Getting a Ford Focus RS-Esque Torque Vectoring All-Wheel Drive System
"Performance" is usually the last thing you think of when you think about the Buicks that you can get today. That may start to change in the next few years thanks to a new all-wheel drive system.
Automotive News reports that GM has announced it will use a twin-clutch all-wheel drive system supplied by the company GKN Driveline in upcoming models, including the new 2017 Buick LaCrosse.
Very similar to the system GKN supplies the Ford Focus RS with, it's capable of sending up to 100 percent of the engine's torque to either the front or rear wheels as needed. It can also split torque between the rear wheels. It's a decidedly performance-oriented all-wheel drive system that's going to have a significant impact on the way future Buicks handle.
"Customers are seeing awd as more than just a go-anywhere traction feature," said Ray Kuczera, GKN's vice president of global product technology. "The two-clutch system can also influence the vehicle dynamics and improve the feeling of the car when you're going straight or turning. It's more nuanced vehicle control."
According to LaCrosse Marketing Manager Doug Osterhoff, that's the goal.
"This has a real performance element to it, with big benefits on acceleration and cornering," he said in a recent interview.
It may be surprising to hear that Buick is concerned with improving acceleration and cornering, but the brand has been trying for several years to reinvent itself as an automaker. Offering an advanced, sport-oriented all-wheel drive system probably won't change Buick's reputation overnight, but improving the way its cars drive and handle can only help.
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