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Volkswagen: 44 per cent of sales are 4Motion

Volkswagen Australia says nearly half of its current sales volume is accounted for by models equipped with 4Motion all-wheel drive, which is "double the industry average".


According to the German brand, 44 per cent of its passenger and SUV sales feature all-paw traction, while 62 per cent of its commercial vehicle and people mover sales are 4Motion.

That means 1729 of Volkswagen's 3930 passenger car and SUV registrations last month, while 1155 out of 1863 LCV and people mover sales are 4Motion variants – in total, that's 2884 4Motion-equipped VW models out of the brand's 5793 units sold in June.

In Australia, all-wheel drive is available on all current passenger and SUV models bar the Polo light hatch, while only the Caddy lacks a 4Motion variant in the company's commercial models.

Volkswagen says its customers choose all-wheel drive for various reasons, included added traction on the road and track, recreational off-road use, towing, and commercial use.

Under the 4Motion umbrella, there's three different all-wheel drive systems, too.

The most widely-available system is the Haldex-type system, which is offered on the passenger models like the Golf, Passat and Arteon, SUVs like the Tiguan and upcoming T-Roc, along with the Crafter and T6 Transporter range.

Now in its fifth generation, the 'four-wheel drive coupling' system – formerly known as the Haldex clutch – features a coupling clutch that is attached to the rear axle which enables all-wheel drive where required.

Think of it as a part-time on-demand system that only engages all-wheel drive when slip is detected or during hard acceleration.

Next is the Torsen system (TORque-SENsing differential), which offers permanent all-wheel drive but shuffles the torque distribution between axles as required.

Offered on the Touareg SUV (above) and automatic versions of the Amarok ute, the Torsen system features a transfer box with a self-locking centre differential, which typically runs a torque split of 40:60 front to rear in regular driving.

Under certain conditions, the Torsen all-wheel drive system can send up to 70 per cent of torque to the front axle, or 80 per cent to the rear.

Finally, manual versions of the Amarok come with non-permanently engaged four-wheel drive, which has an electronically-engaged front final drive and low-range gearing.

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