4Matic Growing

Traversing through just a few inches of snow could be a monumental feat for most luxury sedans, most of which feature rear-wheel drive.

That isn't the case for the latest family of Mercedes sedans and wagons (E-Class, C-Class and S-Class), which now come with optional all-wheel drive, putting these formerly dry-pavement-only cars in a new light.

Mercedes' AWD system, dubbed 4Matic, debuted in 1986 in the brand's 300-Class cars. In 1998, a new second-generation system was introduced on the ML 320 SUV. Today, 4Matic is available on all Mercedes sedans and wagons.

But it has yet to make its way to coupe models. Bart Herring, product manager for C-Class cars at Mercedes-Benz USA, says there's no current plan to add the 4Matic to any of the Mercedes coupe range.

“We have to be sensitive to the driving needs of coupe buyers,” he says, adding their expectations differ from Mercedes' other buyers.

However, Mercedes says AWD's benefits could cause luxury buyers to demand it as standard fare on their next luxury sedan or wagon.