It’s that time of year when we all start to think about safety on the road a little more often thanks to the influx of snow, ice and low visibility. So, manufacturers, like Volkswagen, ensure your safe on the road with technology such as 4MOTION.

But what is 4MOTION exactly?

In essence, it’s a fancy term Volkswagen likes to use for their advanced all-wheel drive (AWD) system. The reason it’s so advanced is due to its automatic and almost instant adaptation to the road and its conditions to distribute power to individual wheels as needed. It’s much more effective than 4WD since it’s so intuitive when it comes to road conditions and individual wheel grip.

Volkswagen uses something known as a Haldex clutch system to constantly monitor wheel traction as you drive, which helps your Volks to determine which wheel to send power to, when needed. This system almost instantly detects when more or more wheels lose traction and will then redistribute power to the remaining wheels to compensate, and keep you heading in the right direction and on your intended path.

But 4MOTION is about more than just grip in the winter and on wet surfaces, it can actually improve drivability all-year round as it aids in cornering, while towing and even on steep inclines.

Volkswagen’s 4MOTION system is currently available on six Volkswagen models: the Tiguan, Atlas, Golf ALLTRACK, Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, and Arteon. The wide range of models available with 4MOTION ensure you are safe and secure on the road no matter your family needs and budget.

There’s an added feature to 4MOTION in the Tiguan and Atlas models with a four-mode drive selector that allows the driver to toggle through Snow Mode, On-Road Mode, Off-Road Mode, Off-Road Custom. Each of these modes adjusts the 4MOTION system to adapt to the road conditions you’re currently on. For example, Snow Mode will ensure the engine stays in a lower RPM range to prevent too much power going to the wheels too quickly, thus offering more stability and traction. And in Off-Road Mode, throttle response is limited to avoid traction loss or jerky acceleration, with really helps for trickier off-road terrain.

To find out more about Volkswagen’s innovative and effective 4MOTION system, and to test drive any of the six models that feature this, head down to your local Fifth Avenue Volkswagen to speak to one of our knowledgeable experts, and don’t forget to book a test drive, too!