Written by: Kelly Van Deusen
While All-Wheel Drive is not a unique idea, Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is. In Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive the engine is mounted in-line with the drivetrain, which helps provide a seamless transfer of power to all four wheels. This is different from other All-Wheel Drive systems because in order to get this same power to the wheels they need additional drivetrain components, which usually results in a more complex design. Since the Symmetrical All-Wheel drive has a symmetrical design, it helps add control through uniform stability. Symmetrical All-Wheel drive distributes power to the wheels with the best traction, unlike front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles. Front-wheel drive vehicles generally understeer or push in a turn, while rear-wheel drive vehicles often oversteer in a turn.
Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive works with a suite of other safety systems like Electronic Brake Distribution and Anti-Lock Braking system. Symmetrical All-Wheel drive can send power to all wheels simultaneously for maximum traction and acceleration, or in slippery conditions the power can be actively distributed to the wheels with the best traction. This gives drivers the confidence to venture out in almost any weather condition. Only Subaru offers Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and it has become one of the core technologies for the company, as shown by it being equipped on every Subaru model except the BRZ.
Check out this video that shows how Subaru AWD differs from other vehicles with AWD.
References:
http://www.subaru.com/engineering/all-wheel-drive.html
http://drive2.subaru.com/Win09/Win09_ItsWhatMakes.htm
