While not being the most geek-friendly video ever, the next footage can teach you all the basic functions about the all-wheel drive system of the A-Class and its CLA sibling, courtesy of Daimler AG's YouTube channel.
We're not all excited about the way the system reacts in some situations, such as instantly becoming front-wheel drive when the ESP system kicks in, but we're pretty impressed about the “milliseconds reaction” of the torque distribution between the front and rear axle, depending on what the array of sensors is feeding into the computer.
Another somewhat low-point of the video is when the mechanical entrails of the 4Matic are viewed from above in a suggestive animation, also inadvertently showing the engine and transmission offering the A-Class and CLA a pretty bad weight distribution between the front and rear axle.
All in all, the system, if working as advertised, should be pretty good at transforming what should be an understeering pig into a pretty sporty and most of all safe driving uber hot hatch. Yes, we're talking about the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG.
Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project. Full profile
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