BMW sDrive is a single axle drive architecture that is purpose-built for sport-utility vehicles. Introduced by German automaker

BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...

as an option for the 2013

BMW X5 (F15) The BMW X5 (F15) is the third generation of the X5 series of mid-size Luxury car, luxury Crossover (automobile), crossover SUVs manufactured and marketed worldwide by BMW from 2013 to 2018. The car was unveiled at the International Motor Show Germ ...

, sDrive uses torque-vectoring and displacement mechanisms that optimise agility and efficiency. Today, sDrive is available on all of BMW's utility vehicles, from the X1 through X7. Prior to the introduction of sDrive, the majority of monocoque SUVs came with

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. Types The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflects one axle with ...

four-wheel drive A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pr ...

, or

front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of internal combustion engine, engine and transmission (mechanics), transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature ...

. The two-wheel drive systems present at the time were generally purpose-built for car applications in terms of handling and durability. Rear-wheel drive was generally only seen on body-on-frame vehicles such as pickup trucks and large SUVs. Prior to the F15 X5, all BMW SUVs came standard with

BMW xDrive BMW xDrive is the marketing name for the all-wheel drive system found on various BMW models since 2003. The system uses an electronically actuated clutch-pack differential to vary the torque between the front and rear axles. Models with the DPC t ...

, the company's symmetric all-wheel drive system. These vehicles proved popular to general consumers but lacked the drivability and steering preciseness of the company's sedans and sports cars. The development of sDrive took approximately eight years, and the internal architecture primarily took cues from BMW's sedan rear-wheel drive over xDrive. However, the slip differential needed to be built more substantially to enable the torque-vectoring system on heavier vehicles. Today, sDrive is a popular option on BMW's SUVs. Nearly 35% of all SUVs sold in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

are optioned with sDrive. Many journalists have compared sDrive's agility to be similar to BMW's smaller sedans, particularly in the case of the

BMW X3 (G01) The BMW X3 is an SUV manufactured by BMW since 2003, based on the BMW 3 Series platform. BMW markets the car as a ''Sports Activity Vehicle'', the company's proprietary descriptor for its X-line luxury vehicles. The first-generation X3 was de ...

References

{{reflist BMW Rear-wheel-drive vehicles