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4 Wheel Drive – Innovation in Indian Car Industry

Whether you are commencing on an off-road adventure or a casual drive routine, it is the four-wheel drive or the system that ensures the best drive in all road conditions.

What is four-wheel drive?

The 4-wheel drive is a system or a technology that distributes power/torque to the axle which thrust the vehicle under various conditions. Usually, the front wheel supports the normal driving conditions and four-wheel drive comes under confronting conditions. During such drives, the four-wheel system ensures ultimate control of the vehicle by being substantially variable, that offers as much as 100% of the power conveyed to the wheels with the best traction. This results in perfect and safe driving.

Nature of 4-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive (4WD), or 4x4 ("four by four") comes with a drivetrain that permit all four wheels to obtain power from the engine concurrently. However, people relate the 4-wheel drive with the off-road vehicles but this kind of drive also provides better control in normal roads. In the 4x2-drive system, the engine power is passed on to only two wheels, usually the rear.

This drive system is supported by a four-wheel-drive system. It is also said that every car manufacturer has various schemes for providing power to all of the wheels. The different manufacturers use a different terminology that can be little confusing. So before getting into the detail here are some clarifications regarding the term used by the car manufacturers.

Four-wheel drive – Car with a four-wheel drive system refers to a part-time system, which is intended only for use in low-traction conditions, such as off-road or on snow.

All-wheel drive – They are also baptized as full-time four-wheel drive designed in such a way that they can function on all types of surfaces, both on- and off-road, and most of them cannot be switched off.

Part-time and full-time four-wheel-drive systems – These can be judged on the same technology as all wheel drive. The system propels exactly the right amount of power to each wheel resulting in maximum stability and control.

Types of 4-wheel drive:

Full-time 4WD (or permanent 4WD): Here the engine provides power to all four wheels, usually with power being moved between the front and rear axles as needed. This gives maximum traction in both dry and slippery driving conditions.

Note: Full-time 4WD does not provide much mobility on off-road as part-time 4WD does, because the system is designed such that it allows a set of wheels (front or rear) to spin if they do not have traction.

Part-time 4WD: It refers to a vehicle having an option of 4x4 or 4x2, where the driver can manually shift between 2WD and 4WD with the help of either a lever or a switch. This kind of drive gives a better traction on slippery surfaces as the front and rear sets of wheels are locked together.

Automatic 4WD: This type is a full-time system that allows the vehicle function in 2WD (either front or rear) until the system recognizes that 4WD or AWD is necessary. It then automatically sends the power to all four wheels, varying the ratio between front and rear axles as required.

With the latest innovation, we also have sophisticated systems supported by software that switches the system to 4WD or AWD during specific driving conditions.

Note: As the power sometimes does not transferred to all wheels, such cars are not recommended for serious off-road driving.

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