If the United States is the kingdom of all-wheel drive and in Europe front-wheel drive models resist, RWD cars are increasingly protagonists in the Asia-Pacific area, with important numbers and good forecasts
Will we all become drivers of rear-wheel drive cars? Certainly not, but there are signs of a development that was unpredictable until a few years ago. The popularity of rear-wheel drive (RWD) cars is historically linked to sports cars for their excellent performance and driving fun (better grip during acceleration), but has been overtaken by front-wheel drive (FWD) in mass-market cars due to costs and simplicity: today we are witnessing a comeback of rear-wheel drive thanks to the slow but growing diffusion of electric cars, which often adopt it for reasons of design, habitability, for the electronics which mitigate its disadvantages on slippery surfaces and for the greater accessibility also to models medium and small range. We mention the Tesla Model 3, the Cupra Born, the Volkswagen ID.3, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Kia EV5, the MG4 Electric. However, each market sees it differently, just look at the data from the American market – home of choice for maxi-SUVs and pick-ups – where in the last twenty years, all-wheel drive cars have gone from 23% to 63% according to Jato Dynamics, ending up “eating” front-wheel drive cars (dropped from 50% to 28%) and rear-wheel drive cars (dropped from 27% to 9%). In Europe, 4x4s have increased in the five largest markets (Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Spain) but to a lesser extent: from 6% to 16%, still leaving ample space for front-wheel drive cars (at 76% share, down 10%) and rear-wheel drive ones (going from 9% to 8%) which, according to analysts’ forecasts, should increase due to the diffusion (obligatory, barring any surprises) of electric models in the next decade.
PRACTICALLY A DOUBLE
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If there is a planet where rear-wheel drive has considerable room for development, it is the one that analysts define Apaci.e. Asia-Pacific, where sales from countries such as China, Japan, India and the “Tigers” of South East Asia converge. We are talking about millions and millions of units, with demand for high-performance, prestige and special acceleration vehicles. Thus rear-wheel drive architectures – already present on the most iconic Japanese sports cars – are becoming increasingly sought after for their driving dynamics and engineering sophistication. An analysis by Global Data has no doubts about this: if five years ago, sales of RWD cars stood at 6.3 million units and now they are just over 11 million, in 2030 – as a result of not enormous but constant growth – they will break through to 12 million, which is equivalent to a fifth of the total market. “In the emerging luxury and sports vehicle segments, Asian consumers increasingly value performance features such as weight balance, steering precision and a sense of connection between driver and vehicle,” explains Madhuchhanda Palit, GlobalData analyst specializing in the Apac market. Beyond driving pleasure, there is another driver for growth: commercial vehicles, luxury sedans, sports models and truck-derived SUVs – essential in the aspirations of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region – rely on robust rear axles capable of handling increased torque, load and performance. It should not be forgotten that, at the same time, the evident push towards electric and hybrid vehicles – particularly on the Chinese market – is opening up important spaces for the sale of current RWD models and the design of new rear-wheel drive solutions.
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