As Honda's comprehensive automobile research center, the Automobile R&D Center (Tochigi) houses state-of-the-art research equipment in a highly efficient building layout. With our Tochigi Proving Ground right next door, the R&D Center is ideally located for the rapid feedback of test drive results to be used in research and development. By implementing our own unique R&D systems to fully utilize the talents of our research teams, we strive to both fulfill our social responsibilities as an automaker with respect to environmental conservation and safety and quality assurance, while at the same time putting priority on the customer viewpoint to develop vehicles that boast the kind of cutting-edge performance and comfort that make them a sheer delight to drive.
Engine Performance Testing Room |
Environmental Protection Research Laboratory |
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Indoor Omnidirectional Car-to-Car Crash Test Facility |
Design Studio |
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High-Precision 5-Axis NC Machine |
Electromagnetic Environment Testing Room |
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Full-Scale Wind Tunnel |
Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive
SH-AWD rear drive unit cutaway model
SH-AWD is the world’s first drive train that controls power transmission to the front and rear axles, and delivers power to all four wheels independently. This revolutionary system responds to the driver’s operations and the feel of the road to judge, instantly and autonomously, where to distribute drive—front, back, left and right.
Vehicles equipped with this breakthrough technology coax maximum performance from all four tires, deliver pinpoint turning that interprets the driver’s every intention, and hug the road with incredible wheel stability. The SH-AWD revolution brings a whole new dimension in exhilaration and stability to driving.
When the vehicle is turning, the rear wheel on the outside of the turn follows a track outside of the average track of the front wheels. If the front and rear wheels have the same rotational speed, the outside rear wheel cannot keep up with the front wheels, reducing the efficiency of power delivery to the outside rear wheel. SH-AWD addresses this problem by switching gear ratios, creating greater acceleration in the rear wheels than in the front. Incorporated in the rear-wheel drive, this world-first system from Honda greatly reduces the power transmission loss caused by the track differential during turning.
