Kia’s
next-generation Optima (K5), as well as the 2020 Hyundai Sonata are both in
line to receive electronically-controlled AWD systems. Apparently, the upcoming
5th-gen Optima will get the nod first, before year’s end, followed soon after
by the latest Sonata.
The report comes
courtesy of Korean outlet ETNEWS, stating that such an all-wheel drive system
will feature an electronic coupling between the front and rear wheel axles in
order to actively distribute forces based on various factors like acceleration,
speed and so on.
Available modes are
said to include Eco, for improved fuel economy, but also a Sports mode, which
focuses on driving pleasure. Right now, both automakers are rapidly expanding
the application of all-wheel drive systems throughout their entire passenger
car lineups. For example, Hyundai’s HTRAC system can be found in new models
such as the Palisade or the Santa Fe, while Kia offers AWD for high-end
products like the K9 or the Stinger GT, to go with its crossovers.
Now, despite the
fact that the 2020 Sonata is riding on a new front-wheel drive platform,
Hyundai product division director Jae Young Kim has gone on record saying that
an all-wheel drive version aimed at the U.S. market could see the light of day.
Fitting both the
Sonata as well as the next-gen Optima with an all-wheel drive system should
prove beneficial in a market where some of their rivals are already offering
such systems – take the new Nissan Altima for example, or the 2020 Subaru
Legacy.
