i-ACTIV explained in detail

Alberta drivers know how difficult winter can be and how winter road conditions can negatively impact the handling of our vehicle. Unless of course our vehicle is equipped with Mazda's i-ACTIV technology.

With i-ACTIV, we are entitled to one of the most advanced all-wheel drive systems in the world, giving us unmatched stability in the city and on the highway when road conditions are slippery while maintaining the efficiency of our vehicle and its fuel economy.

Normally, an AWD system increases fuel consumption because it is heavier, but also because the four wheels engaged increase the resistance which reduces fuel economy. With i-ACTIV, the system is able to send power to the rear wheels only when needed.

In other words, when the roads are clear, and we do not need to have traction at all four wheels, we benefit from the fuel economy of a FWD vehicle.

If a loss of grip is detected, however, i-ACTIV is able to send torque to the rear axle to stabilize the vehicle. Everything is done instantly so that you do not notice the loss of grip and winter driving becomes child's play. The reason why the system can react so quickly is that it can detect what the wiper blades are doing, what the outside temperature is, and a range of other elements that allow it to know when the conditions are poor outside.

i-ACTIV is also able to detect the driver's intentions and determine the type of driving pattern that the driver wishes to adopt. The idea here is that i-ACTIV is able to adapt to the driver's preferences by analyzing the position of the steering wheel as well as acceleration and braking forces as well.

Thus, i-ACTIV adapts to offer the best possible handling according to what we want to do with our Mazda.