were steady improvements to Mitsubishi’s AWD tech ‑ nologies into the 2000s and by 2007-2008 Mitsubishi’s S-AWC system – with active centre differential and yaw-control electronics -- was making its way into the automaker’s lineup. By this point, Sawase-san has, quite obviously, put on his Chief Technology Engineer’s hat. Then he turns to the design objectives of S-AWC: “predictable handling” and “high-marginal performance.” In real-world terms, “predictable handling” means the vehicle is engineered to deliver “superior steer‑ ing response.” By that he means steering that is linear and controllable even in slippery conditions. When a vehicle has “high-marginal performance,” it stays as glued to the road as possible “during cornering and braking.” In a nutshell, the S-AWC system Sawase-san has spent a career developing and refining is designed to deliv‑ er dynamic performance at higher speeds, perform‑ ance that is predictable and satisfying for the driver, while also addressing pure safety concerns that are grounded in personal experience – Sawase-san’s. The truth is, then, this S-AWC journey all began on a snowy night in Northern Japan.
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