Mercedes Goes All-Out With All-Wheel Drive

JACKSON, WY – In an act of desperation during the 1990s, Subaru switched its entire lineup to all-wheel drive in the U.S.

The Japanese auto maker was trying to reverse a steep sales decline and establish a marketplace point of distinction. It worked.

Now, Mercedes-Benz in North America is expanding the number of vehicle models on which it offers 4MATIC, its version of AWD. But the German luxury auto maker isn’t doing so out of despair; it enjoys strong sales in the U.S., with 245,192 deliveries last year.

Rather, it is increasing AWD model availability because of the growing number of customers opting for 4MATIC.

The technology now is optional on 21 models. Those include the obvious, such as SUV-like M-Class and GL-Class cross/utility vehicles. But Mercedes also has expanded AWD for its car offerings, such as the E350 coupe and sedan; C350 and CL550 coupes; and the diesel-powered S350 BlueTec.

“There is no letup,” says Mercedes spokesman Geoff Day. “Everyone knows 4MATIC is in SUVs. But now, it is in many more vehicles for practical and everyday use. It’s in just about everything but our roadsters.”

Mercedes touts the fourth-generation 4MATIC system as offering superior traction, stability and handling on dry, wet or snow-covered road surfaces. “It can handle anything you throw at it,” says Eric Linder, a product manager.

The system costs $2,000 to $3,000 extra, but that hasn’t deterred many Mercedes buyers, who are big spenders in the first place when it comes to their vehicles.

More than 50% of S-Class buyers in the U.S. opt for 4MATIC, says Rolf Schroeder, manager-4MATIC development. “The U.S. has a significantly higher take rate than Europe.” There are European exceptions. For instance, in snowy and mountainous Switzerland, the 4MATIC take rate is 60%.

“The additional traction the system provides is appreciated by U.S. customers who want a sure-footed vehicle,” he says.     

That’s particularly true for regions such as the Northeast, Mercedes spokesman Christian Bokich tells WardsAuto. “But I wouldn’t generalize and say only customers in snow states are interested in AWD. Take rates are increasing because 4MATIC simply is better for all road conditions.”     

The electronically controlled system includes automatic differential lock and traction control. The transfer case distributes drive torque between the front and rear axles at a certain ratio, typically 45:55 front/rear, depending on the car model. A double-disc clutch in the transfer case delivers pre-lock torque, improving traction during acceleration.

The transfer case is integrated with the transmission, reducing friction, noise, vibration and harshness as well as aiding fuel economy and “improving the overall driving experience,” Linder says. “There is no heavy, complex transfer case.”

Depending on driving situations, the traction system applies brakes to individual spinning wheels. That selected braking increases drive torque and maintains grip on tricky roadways.

There are plenty of those here, including a special track Mercedes created in the Jackson Hole valley to demonstrate how its AWD system keeps all tires fully engaged regardless of the driving challenges.

The course is slippery, snow-covered and curvy, yet 4MATIC-equipped vehicles maintain control and hold tight during aggressive speeds and driving maneuvers.

The latest version of the system decreases friction and increases torque to the front wheels compared with three previous generations of 4MATIC.

The current system also weighs 25 lbs. (11 kg) less than before. Billed as the lightest of AWD systems at 154 lbs. (67 kg), “there virtually is no fuel-economy penalty,” Linder says.

The auto maker developed 4MATIC on its own, he notes. “This is done in-house, as opposed to adapting supplier technology to our platform.”

AWD isn’t new to Mercedes and parent company Daimler. Paul Daimler, son of auto pioneer Gottlieb Daimler, led the team that created the first AWD vehicle in 1907.

Dubbed the “Dernburg,” it was a 3.6-ton (3,266 t-) monster the German Colonial Office commissioned for rough-terrain use in Africa.

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