Mois : août 2023

An expression used to describe a vehicle equipped with six wheels that is driven by all of them.

An expression used to describe a six-wheeled vehicle – two wheels in the front and four in the rear – that is driven by the rear four wheels.

This expression is used to describe a vehicle with only two wheel drive. The first figure is the total number of wheels, and the second is the number of driving wheels. In some countries it’s essentially a different name for rear-wheel drive vehicles (RWD), unlike 2X4, which can be used for describing a front-wheel drive […]

Four Wheel Drive is a system which transfers engine power to four wheels independently and is mostly found on SUVs and all-terain vehicles. By using differentials it can transfer almost any amount of power percentage to any of the four driving wheels.

4MATIC is the name of a complex electronically controlled all wheel drive system developed and used by Mercedes-Benz on some of its models. All Mercedes cars featuring this system also have an automatic transmission in standard equipment and that’s where its name is derived from (4-wheel drive and automatic transmission). Originally developed together by Mercedes […]

Working with the vehicle’s full-time four-wheel drive, 4-ETS uses individual wheel-speed sensors to detect the onset of wheel slip. Then it individually brakes the slipping wheels as needed, providing the effect of locking the front, center and/or rear differentials. The 4-ETS system continually balances the torque split to direct power to the wheel or wheels […]

The Active Yaw Control is a Mitsubishi developed system that stabilizes the yaw moment during hard cornering. By simulating a torque differential between the right and left driving wheels, the AYC system on the Mitsubishi EVO models improves cornering performance and lateral stability on most surfaces.

The axle ratio is the proportion between a vehicle’s driveshaft rotation and its driving wheel axle. For example, a 3:1 axle ratio means that the driveshaft turns three times for every rotation of the driving wheels. By changing a vehicle’s axle ratio, you may change its towing capacity, but this also depends on the engine’s […]

Axle articulation is the ability of a vehicle’s axle to move in a different direction vertically relative to the chassis or the other axle/s. Most American pick-up trucks have axle articulation as a standard feature to help on rough roads.

All Wheel Steering is a system that turns the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels to aid in high-speed cornering. Other similar systems turn the rear wheels in the opposite direction as the front to aid in low speed maneuvering and/or parking.