A continuing trend in the auto industry is the push to improve efficiency in just about every aspect of your car. Embracing this trend, Hyundai and Kia have announced a joint venture to create a truly revolutionary shifting system known as predictive shifting.
What is Predictive Shifting?
Known more formally as Information Communication Technology (ICT) Connected Shift System, Predictive Shifting uses a combination of cameras and sensors mounted on the vehicle and traffic data from a range of sources to proactively upshift or downshift your vehicle based on the traffic conditions around you. The purpose of this is to improve overall fuel efficiency and reduce mechanical wear on the transmission and its associated parts. Currently, automatic transmissions shift based on overall vehicle speed and engine RPM which can result in reduced fuel efficiency on winding roads or when accelerating into traffic. Basically, predictive shifting picks the best gear for upcoming road conditions and smoothly slots into gear without any input from the driver.
