2011 Kia Sportage to get new Magna Dynamax all-wheel drive system

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By Brett Davis | July 19th, 2010

The upcoming Kia Sportage will launch Magna’s new Dynamax all-wheel drive system. Dynamax is said to incorporate electro-hydraulic sensors that activate a coupling, multi-clutch drive to feed power to the wheels with the most traction at any given time.

Soon-Nam Lee, Director of Overseas Marketing, Kia Motors Corporation, said in a recent release,

“The new Dynamax AWD system represents a significant technical advance that will bring real benefits to our customers. The all-new Sportage compact SUV is an exciting newcomer to our product line-up and the availability of such a responsive AWD system for the first time in a Kia will raise this model’s appeal for many potential buyers.”

President of Magna Powertrain, Jake Hirsch, said in a release the system will improve fuel economy and lower emissions due to its ability to engage power to separate wheels, and only load engine power to the wheels with the most traction – as opposed to a constant all-wheel drive system that always loads power onto all four wheels; hindering fuel consumption.

He also says the active system will improve safety and off-road performance due to its ability to constantly direct power to separate wheels according to traction.

Alex

AWD hinder fuel consumption?

Tell that to Subaru with its 6L/100km diesel consumption.

Jabba the Hut

It would still be lower if it was “on demand”. I am looking forward to the release of this car and the reviews that follow.

Davo

So when’s this launching then? I see Kia has a teaser page on their website but no dates or specs.

J

Billboards say Aug 3. Secretly counting down..

David

i saw August 8 on billboards

Martin

At least we know it’s sometime in August.

http://carAdvice The Salesman

I just came back from Sportage training at Kia’s Queensland regional office. The Base model Si is loaded with just about everything. Official release is 1st August.
Motoring journalists will pick up cars as of Monday 26th

Reckless1

The system will improve economy because it won’t feed engine power to a wheel with no traction……hence it’s better than constant 4WD.

Well, that may be technically correct, but in the real world it’s a crock of crap. Why? Well, how many soft roaders ever drive in conditions where they have anything but the same traction on all 4 wheels. Answer is – almost none.

Same economy as a “normal” AWD, folks.

Stoney!

Wrong because it will drive only the front wheels in normal conditions like the haldex system in VW’s and Skoda’s. This gives better fuel economy. Only directing torque to different wheels is wet weather, loose surfaces or off road conditions.

Stoney!

Hung Low

I do not see the purpose of this system in a soft roader. The should have introduced it on a high power AWD performance car where the effectiveness of the system is more viable.
On a soft roader it is pretty much the same as the competition has been for around a decade, i.e transferring drive to the rear if traction is lost, the only advantage of this is when you are rock crawling with only one wheel on each end of the car is on a surface. The chances of a Sportage rock crawling in the first place is 0%.

Jean ubota

This system is welcomed for all driving conditions whenever your are driving along a straight line or in zig zag.

This system ought to response to almost any emergency driver actions in monotoring and controling all driving facors such as the rpm, transmission gear position, throttle position and in assisting the driver in controling his vegicle.

The questions that remains is how the system is doing the work and how does it pergorms in difficult and marginal situation, how doet it interact with the esp system as well as the abs system? The operational response setting is of paramount importance in the peformance ans quick reaction of this system to different road situation and driver as well.

http://baji192.wordpress..com Baji

Interesting.. So this means the Awd system will be able to send 100% torque to say…Only the front right wheel, if the other 3 have no traction?

Jabba the Hut

Technically yes, but the car’s other electronic aids will cut power to restore traction before that happens in most if not all cases. We are talking microseconds here. The computer power in modern cars is taken for granted.

Jabba the Hut

Oh and for those interested I saw a snippet (in Korean) showing several of the new Optima being driven on SBS today. That is one seriously good looking car. It was a news story so perhaps it was about the release?

Mad Max

Jabba, you hit the nail on the head. Its one nice looking car but if it drives like the I45, it will be be good looks but a crook drive. Even Hyundai admits that the handeling needs improving. The same goes with IX35. Nice looking and nicely finished but the handeling and super stiff suspension needs work. Lets hope KIA can do a better job.

Jabba the Hut

I picked up my Highlander on Saturday and the suspension is firm but not as firm as some are making out. The i45 is getting a suspension overhaul.

xnov

i hate the australian cars

NasalExplorer

“i hate the australian cars”

Well, thats a bit non sequitur, to say the least.
Robin Graves

The whole world hates septic yanks

http://www.facebook.com/sammo.8191 Sam Moss

We all know that this car will look good on (or off) the road, but whether or not it will have the same ride and handling issues of the ix35 remains to be seen, let’s hope not.

It’s interesting how Kia are flaunting the exterior of the vehicle, but few interior pictures have surfaced. I have to say that the interior is a big disappointment for me, I expected a bit more originality and quality given the fantastic looking exterior – it looks too similar to the ix35′s.
Robin Graves

I have to wonder why the ix35 didnt get this system?
Robin Graves

Magna have a video on their website explaining the system and showing a new Sportage (sportidge in Canadian) It’s nothing new except for perhaps the algorithms the ECU uses. Its just a electro-hydraulic clutchpack on the tailshaft much like the previous and current Tucson / ix35 / sportage. To allow 100% torque to go to the back wheels it must also have a similar clutchpack in the front transaxle to decouple the front wheels. It only controls power to each axle – ie 2 channel, not a 4 channel system so it would need a LSD or another electronic diff in each ‘axle’ to be a true AWD or use the brakes to hold a spinning wheel (bad for fuel consumption). I would guess that most of the extra fuel usage in an AWD would be due to inertia in the extra driveline components and friction in having to turn the extra components. As these components are being turned by the road even tho there is no drive going to them, its not going to make much difference IMO.
Torque

…. Whoa!
I can’t believe Robbin’ Graves stopped assembling his Lego 4×4 kit to write that.

This AWD system had to arrive, given the numerous electronic systems in place such as ABS and ESC amongst other acronyms for sale in new cars.
Mat

Sam Moss, have seen the interior of new sportage and it looks absolutely nothing like the ix35′s! the dash and door trims are from completely different worlds..
Silver Streak

This Magna Dynamax AWD system, looks and sounds, very similar to Mitsubishi’s S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control)system, which has been around for a few years now, both in the Lancer Evolution and on the 6 cylinder Outlanders.