La 4MATIC technology It is the all-wheel drive that some Mercedes-Benz models have had since 1987.
This Mercedes all-wheel drive system has up to 6 variations in its system, including 4MATIC Variable (“one of the simplest”) to the newest and most complex, the 4MATIC + from Mercedes-AMG.
Variations of the Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC system
• 4MATIC Variable: This version of the 4MATIC is an all-wheel drive that normally sends 100% of the drive to the front wheels unless you detect a loss of traction. In that case it will send up to 50% to the rear axle. Thus, Mercedes equipped with this technology will be front-wheel drive unless the terrain and grip conditions require all-wheel drive, thus reducing fuel consumption.
A Mercedes-Benz vehicle that opts for this type of traction is the A-Class W177 4MATIC.
• 4MATIC Permanent: The 4MATIC Permanent, as its name indicates, is a system that transmits all traction to all 4 wheels and it cannot alter that delivery of torque between one wheel or another. It is what we commonly know as all-wheel drive.
• 4MATIC Fully Variable: This system is mounted on vehicles such as the Mercedes GLE or GLS and allows 100% of the traction to be sent to one of the wheels independently. Thus, this variant of 4MATIC can be extremely useful in terrain such as mud or snow.
Variations of the AMG 4MATIC
with the acronym AMG ahead we can expect the following 4MATIC systems to be even more radical.
• AMG Performance 4MATIC Variable: For this system, when the driving conditions of an AMG vehicle are optimal, this 4MATIC variant sends all drive to the front of the vehicle. It can be said that this system is very similar to Mercedes-Benz's 4MATIC Variable, although somewhat more radical.
An example of a Mercedes AMG that uses this system is the A 35.
• AMG Performance 4MATIC Permanent: This system is very similar to the 4MATIC Permanent that offers all-wheel drive at all times, however, vehicles equipped with AMG Performance 4MATIC Permanent are delivering a 31% of the traction to the front axles and 69% of the traction to the rear axles, it is the latter that will generate much of the traction.
• AMG Performance 4MATIC+ Variable: This is the latest variant of the 4MATIC system presented by Mercedes AMG and what makes it really interesting is that it allows you to deliver all of the engine torque to the rear or front axle independently.
4MATIC+ in detail
As we mentioned before, what makes this new AMG 4MATIC system really special is the ability it has to transfer engine torque to one axle or another depending on the demand of the vehicle.
In addition, the 4MATIC+ together with the AMG Dynamic Plus can include Drift mode. This driving mode has been designed with the aim of making oversteer the AMG to the maximum, enjoying a spectacular skidding sensation, however, this driving mode should only be used on a closed circuit.
The A 45 S praised this in the following video recorded on a freezing lake in Sweden:
This driving mode, which was presented in 2019 and was a true revolution, continues to surprise us, and it means being able to have a vehicle like the A 45 S with 421 HP and all-wheel drive with which you can do the most challenging mountain passes while at the same time It becomes an almost propulsion vehicle with which you can enjoy drifting just by changing from one mode to another, it is not something you see every day.
How to activate Drift mode on a Mercedes AMG 4MATIC+
First of all, note that Not all vehicles equipped with 4MATIC+ have drift mode, it will depend on the installed driving packages. If you are not sure if your vehicle has this driving mode, we recommend that you contact a Mercedes sales advisor.
To activate Drift mode, the first thing we must do is go from the vehicle's default “Comfort” mode to Race mode. Once in Race mode, we must press the traction control or ESP button until the vehicle's screen displays the icon. deactivate. Later we will have to activate the gearbox in manual mode and press both shift paddles at the same time until the drift mode warning sign appears. Once there we will activate the drift mode with the right cam. It's your turn, enjoy!
