Scheduled for a launch in Japan by the fiscal year (ends March 31, 2022), the new S-AWC integrated vehicle dynamics control system will provide safe, secure and comfortable driving in various weather and road conditions.

The all-new Outlander PHEV model employs twin-motor 4WD that consists of one motor at the front and another one at the rear of the vehicle. By taking advantage of the electric motors’ characteristic high response, and high precision and freedom in controlling the front and rear motors, the system optimally distributes the driving force between the front and rear wheels according to road and driving conditions. Combining this with S-AWC increases vehicle maneuverability in driving, cornering and braking. 

Conventional models employ braking control system to control the brake forces in the left and right wheels only on the front, but the evolved S-AWC adds braking control system to the rear wheels. This reduces the load on the front wheels and makes it possible to extract the maximum performance from all four tires in a more balanced manner and delivers handling true to the driver’s intent for safe, secure and comfortable driving in various conditions.

In addition, seven drive modes can be selected depending on road conditions and driving style. Normal, the basic mode, is optimized for normal driving on paved roads. Gravel mode provides balanced operability and road handling ability on unpaved or wet paved roads, and Snow mode delivers stable vehicle behavior on snowy and other slippery roads. In addition, there are Power mode, which offers powerful acceleration, and Eco mode that prioritizes economic and environmentally-friendly driving.