Wet Roads to Bring Out Their Best - Subaru Demonstrates its All-Wheel Drive and EyeSight Driver Assist Technology

While Car buffs and buyers alike milled around the Subaru booth during the motorshow, with some experiencing signature Russ Swift donuts, the wet weather presented the best opportunity for Oneshift to fully understand the importance of All-Wheel drive (AWD).

A secret course set up by MotorImage Singapore… at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, was the ideal location to put new Subaru XV 2.0 and other models through their paces.

Also featured, was Subaru’s new EyeSight, their revolutionary technology that enhances safety to the highest standard.

While many of us take our well-built local roads for granted, there are really many places on the island, where the importance of balanced traction comes into play.

Although the XV has been in the market for a few months now, the new 2.0 horizontally-opposed four, adds more grunt to the compact SUV, and the added performance is definitely welcome.

Most segment equivalents are front-drive vehicles, and they do sit higher than most cars on the road. While it does provide an inherent better view of traffic ahead, better entry and exit from their vehicles, all drivers would experience a little more roll around the bends, as the higher centre of gravity also does more to upset the balance of the car.

The two segment equivalent cars we tested alongside the XV were no exception. Even with traction control deployed around our test track, tight cornering and directional changes were met with struggling front wheels doing the bulk of the work, with typical front-wheel understeer, and there is always a sense in severe situations, that the rear would want to come around.

Subaru’s AWD drive allows for power to be shared between both front and rear wheels, but what is more important, is the transference of power when the system detects slippage. Cornering is actually a more neutral affair, with a more controlled turn-in and reduced stepping out of the rear wheels.

Working in tandem with the AWD, the new Subaru Global Platform (SGP) forms the underpinnings for all Subaru cars in the near future. With added structural rigidity and a higher emphasis on safety, the new SGP does greatly improve the car’s handling.

This can be quite literal, it really is like another set of eyes on the road. While it might be new to the market, Subaru had been tinkering with this system as early as 1989. With a collective 600,000km travelled in various countries, including a number of congested cities in some South-east Asian countries, all this to fine-tune their EyeSight Driver Assist Technology before rolling it out.

The system comprises of a pair of forward-facing cameras and sensors which tracks anything from moving vehicles, picking out their distance, speed, and even if their tail lamps are lit, and yes braking. Pedestrians too are captured, and all this information is fed into the system, which offers early audible warnings and even steps in to take action.

With more traffic on our roads as compared to two decades back, the EyeSight Driver Assist Technology does help drivers with additional monitoring of the road ahead. Additionally, the system does also help with keeping the car in lane, if it senses it veering out of its markings.

Adaptive cruise control is also a rarity in this market segment, and proves to be an advantage in more crowded cities like Singapore. Just think of crawling rush hour traffic at variable speeds. The system is able to track the vehicle in-front and ensures your car follows it at a safe distance.

There are a number of premium brands which are equipped with their own systems which are similar in doing what they do, but in an age where autonomous systems are now nothing new, this little bit of tech in a brand which is more attainable is a welcome improvement not only to the benefit of drivers, but to other road users as-well.