2014 Acura RLX to Get Innovative All-Wheel Steering
While the big hype surrounding the all-new Acura RLX luxury flagship sedan is its electric all-wheel drive system, front-drive models will gain a new all-wheel steering system to help maximize performance and safety.
Called Precision All-Wheel Steer, it’s similar to other systems on the market in that it will allow the rear wheels to turn in the direction of the front wheels to improve cornering capability and reduce understeer. What makes it unique, however, is that both wheels can also point inward (or toe-in), to improve vehicle stability in high speed braking.
How the system works is through special adjustable toe links built in to the suspension that are controlled via the car’s ECU.
While unique to this vehicle for now, company representatives on hand to help demo the technology at Honda’s R&D Center in Utsunomiya, Japan confirmed that it could easily be adapted to other vehicles, though at an added cost. As a result, it’s unlikely to appear in mainstream models like the Accord or Civic, though could eventually be used in “sporty” cars like the Accord Coupe or Civic Si.
At launch, however, Precision All-Wheel Steer will be exclusive to the entry-level front-drive RLX model, while all-wheel drive cars will do without the system in favor of the new Sports Hybrid SH-AWD. This new generation of SH-AWD replaces a mechanical rear axle with two rear electric motors, allowing torque to be distributed individually to each rear axle to maximize cornering capability.
GALLERY: Precision All-Wheel Steer Prototype
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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