Confidence Ignited

Confidence Ignited by Intuition. Mazda's predictive i-Activ AWD is an on-demand system featuring sensors that check road conditions 200 times every second. Built to sense, and respond to these conditions, i-Activ AWD helps to ensure a more confident drive.

Sensing Conditions

Multifunction leather steering wheel and infotainment screen in a Mazda interior.

Driver Intent

The i-Activ AWD system uses numerous sensors to determine the driver's intentions. Is the driver intending to accelerate? How sharply is the steering wheel turned? How much pressure is on the brakes? These and other considerations are taken into account, and determine how the system reacts in order to achieve optimum control.

Rear view of a red Mazda sedan driving on the road.

Road Conditions

i-Activ AWD constantly monitors exterior temperature, wiper operation, the amount of torque required to turn the front wheels and the load on the engine. As a result, the system knows if it's snowing or raining, if the road is slippery if the driver is on a hill or attempting to turn. This enables the i-Activ AWD system to accurately predict when slippage will occur.

Rear three-quarter view of a red Mazda CX-3 SUV driving on a snowy city road.

Slip Protection

i-Activ AWD is designed to send just enough torque to the rear wheels to prevent slippage from occurring. By doing this, it provides the traction associated with all-wheel drive, while minimizing the impact on fuel consumption.

Front three-quarter view of a red Mazda sedan parked on a city street.

Calculation

An ideal split of torque between the front and rear wheels is achieved through the i-Activ AWD command module's innovative 200-times-per-second calculations, allowing for quick and responsive reactions that ensure a better, controlled drive.

Side profile of a red Mazda's front end showing the headlight and alloy wheel.

Response

Direction from the command module lets the i-Activ AWD system apply the required torque to the wheels to deliver an exceptionally stable driving experience with better control over acceleration, turns, breaking and slippage.

UNCOMPROMISED FUEL EFFICIENCY

Close-up of an automatic leather-wrapped gear shift lever.

Reducing Frictional Losses

Engineers even studied the way the oil moves through the gears in order to enhance the efficiency of the system.

Close-up of mechanical chassis and suspension components.

Raise the Compression Ratio

The dome-shaped pistons in the Skyactiv-G engine raise the compression ratio, harnessing more energy from fuel.