Four-wheel-steering set to be 'a commodity'

Four-wheel-steering is the next big thing.

Having appeared (and disappeared) in a handful of models in the late 1980s to 1990s, the technology is on the march as manufacturers take advantage of more powerful computers as well as an off-the-shelf package developed by engineering powerhouse ZF.

Porsche brought the technology back to market with the 991-generation 911 GT3 and 911 Turbo models, which reintroduced technology now used by a growing number of brands including Ferrari, Audi, Renault, Honda and Cadillac.

The most common system, ZF's Active Kinematics Control, can sync with electronic steering and stability control systems used by many modern cars. AKC steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels at low speed, before turning them in tandem with the front end as speeds increase, increasing a car's agility and stability.

Lamborghini research and development chief Maurizio Reggiani turned to ZF when developing the refreshed Aventador S supercar. The system helped transform the Aventador's handling, making it feel at once lighter and nimbler as well as more planted in the right circumstances.

Reggiani says the technology is well worth a six kilogram weight penalty, and that drivers should expect to see it in a growing range of models.

"I think more and more it will be something that can be normal for the car of the future, it's clear that the advantage that you have is really important," he says.

"What the driver will perceive in terms of agility is like the car is lighter. More and more [cars] will move in the future to additional items like batteries - this will give a big contribution to decrease the appearance of the weight of the car.

"Sooner or later it will become like a commodity."

Advanced systems offered by the likes of Porsche use twin actuators to offer minute control of wheel movement - including the possibility of the rear wheels steering independently of each other - while cheaper systems use one actuator to direct the rear axle as a whole.

Renault's $38,490 Megane GT is one of the cheapest cars in Australia to offer four-wheel-steering, while Ferrari's sold-out F12 TDF is the most expensive at $808,888 plus on-road costs.