Intelligent 4Wd System - Ford Escape 2013 Manual

2013
Chassis Overview
• The 2013 Escape chassis is all new
• Key 2013 developments include Torque Vectoring
Control, improved steering feel and response, improved
ride and handling characteristics and improved NVH
(noise, vibration and harshness) characteristics
• Reduced suspension component weight, compared
to previous model
• Rigid suspension mounting points help deliver
precise response to steering inputs
• Overall chassis stiffness allowed engineers to tune
the European-inspired suspension for exceptional
ride and handling characteristics

Intelligent 4WD System

• The all-new Ford-engineered 4WD system utilizes
software that preemptively reassesses road
conditions every 16 milliseconds – about 20 times
faster than it takes to blink an eye – and adjusts the
power split from front wheels to back to give drivers
a precise blend of handling and traction at all times
• The all-new system splits torque produced by the
powertrain between the front and rear axles for a key
advantage: seamless power transfers that help keep
the vehicle on the driver's intended path, helping to
minimize understeer or oversteer conditions
• The system measures actual directional input from
wheel sensors, lateral acceleration and yaw rates,
and compares it to driver responses via the steering
wheel and accelerator, and then prompts the system
to react accordingly
• During snowy and wet conditions that cause excess
wheelslip, the intelligent "torque on demand" 4WD
system on Escape can send up to 100% of available
drivetrain power to the front or rear axles, and
determines the power distribution by measuring wheel
speed differences in correlation with driver steering
input and requested powertrain torque
• In constant-speed highway conditions, Escape operates
in 2WD mode, providing 100% of the power to the
front wheels. The 4WD controller will determine how
much torque should be sent to the front and rear
axles, but it goes one step further than most stability
control systems – it anticipates how much torque
will be required by analyzing up to 25 inputs every 16
milliseconds
• At speeds below approximately 20 mph, the system
provides high levels of torque to the rear axle with a
focus on traction maximization
• At speeds above approximately 20 mph, the system
is tuned for balanced torque distribution to improve
driving feel, handling, cornering and response
• Available on SE, SEL and Titanium
12
Escape
Performance/Handling
Chassis
esourcebook.dealerconnection.com
RE&T: 2013 Source Book
ENgINEERINg INSIgHT
Intelligent 4WD System
How It Works
The system measures:
• All four wheel speeds to determine if there is a
speed difference between the front and rear wheels
• Actual speed and driver-requested torque to
maximize low-speed traction
• Steering wheel angle to determine the driver's
intended direction
• Lateral acceleration to determine the appropriate
torque distribution while cornering
• Yaw rate to determine the vehicle's rotation about
its vertical axis
Key Driver Benefits
• Understeer and oversteer can be controlled
more quickly
• Torque steer is virtually eliminated
• Activates more intelligently than previous-
generation automatic systems
• Improves vehicle dynamics, ride and handling
MAKE THE POINT:
Escape 4WD versus Explorer 4WD System
The Intelligent 4WD system in Escape is completely
automated – no driver input is required. The system
evaluates road conditions every 16 milliseconds,
and adjusts based on that immediate information.
When road conditions change, the system
automatically compensates and transfers power
where needed to help reduce wheelspin, yaw rate
error and/or torque steer. Driver input is not required
to engage or disengage the system — it happens
automatically for improved vehicle dynamics, ride,
handling and traction.
The system in Explorer is driver-selectable by a
rotary control switch, allowing drivers to move from
Normal mode to three 4WD modes: Sand, Mud/
Rut and Snow/Gravel/Grass. Drivers, rather than
an automated system, make adjustments based
on how the vehicle feels and responds. As road
conditions improve or change, drivers can select a
new mode or back to "Normal."
Front-wheel Drive (FWD) Powertrain Layout
• Weight of engine on front end provides good traction
in slippery road conditions
December 2011