4Matic all-wheel drive in summer: as useful as in winter
April 22 2021,
The positive effects of owning an all-wheel drive vehicle in the winter are obvious. As the wheels get snowy and icy, it's clear that driving a model with four-wheel drive is an advantage over the traction offered by a front- or rear-wheel drive model.
But what about summer? Does your vehicle's all-wheel drive take a few months off?
Not at all, because AWD is always active and always on the lookout. Here are a few situations where it could come in handy.
Turning
When you make a turn, you force the masses of the vehicle you are driving to move. If the whole thing happens at 20 or 30 km/h, you don't really feel the effect. The same thing happens on the highway where the turns are less pronounced because of the speed. However, on a winding road, you can be surprised by tighter turns than others. This is the kind of situation that can throw you off balance. With a front- or rear-wheel drive model, it can be more difficult to maintain control. With 4Matic all-wheel drive, which shifts torque to the wheels with the most grip in real-time, it's a breeze. The same goes for bumps that make your vehicle jump; with constant grip, your vehicle's stability is always assured.
Hydroplaning
In the spring, as well as in the summer and fall, intense rainfall is possible. With it, hydroplaning situations are always a possibility. This is a very unpleasant feeling behind the wheel, as it is equivalent to being on an ice rink with a vehicle. With the four-wheel drive offered by 4Matic, the moment is more reassuring, as the system will work at lightning speed to find the least amount of grip possible to help you maintain stability. And if you inadvertently accelerate, you won't destabilize your vehicle, because the wheels will refuse to spin for no reason, precisely because the system doesn't detect traction. In fact, think of the 4Matic system as a cat that grabs onto a slippery surface and moves forward quietly, keeping its balance. That's what your vehicle will do for you.
Surprises on the road
At any time during the summer, the road can surprise you. It can be a crack that you don't have time to see, a pothole, a dusty and slippery stretch of road, or black ice in the morning when the temperature is near the freezing point in the fall. The problem is that we're less careful and a little maneuvering can be dangerous. Fortunately, the 4Matic system is there to keep an eye on things. If the slightest loss of grip is detected, it will act and react before you even have time to think that you are in danger.
That's 4Matic all-wheel drive, winter, or summer.
