good motoring
H. Kishie Singh
All-wheel drive wins

AFTER seven decades of debate as to which wheels should drive a car, front or rear, the general consensus of most car manufacturers is that all four wheels should drive a car. Why should only two wheels work while two sit idle? Four is better than two. So the trend today is all-wheel drive or AWD. The advantage of AWD is obvious, you have the power and performance of rear-wheel drive plus the added safety — road holding, cornering and braking of front-wheel drive. In spite of the fact that AWD vehicles are more expensive and less fuel-efficient, drivers are giving performance and safety priority. So much so that 30 per cent of all vehicles sold in the US by 2015 will be AWD. This may become a global trend.

Why all-wheel drive?

Even a car that is perched precariously as in the picture will be able to drive away because of the AWD

It provides control of over all four tyres, which means each tyre is in firm contact with the road, irrespective of the road surface. Even if one tyre is air borne, the car will maintain its traction. All four tyres’ slip ratios and slip angles are maximised. This helps the ABS and steering control. Credit for AWD must go to Audi. At the Geneva Auto Show in 1980, Audi showed their first AWD, the Quattro. Quattro in Italian means four. Why a German car manufacturer should use an Italian word is understandable. The Germans are practical, the Italians are sexy. So you had a car that was both practical and sexy. It helps in marketing.

The Audi Quattro performed brilliantly in rallies and was extremely reliable in all types of road conditions, especially in snow. It was an instant hit with rallyists. In 1983, it made its debut at the Monte Carlo Rally and also won the Swedish Rally and the Rally of Portugal. It won a total of eight world rallies. The word Quattro was inseparable from Audi. So much so that Audi has a patent on the use of the letter ‘Q’ in the auto industry. Q3, Q5, Q7 immediately identify an Audi, just as ‘X’ identifies BMW and ‘M’ a Mercedes-Benz.

Getting established on the rally circuit is always a selling point. It did not take Audi long to establish the fact that an all-wheel drive is the safest and best way to propel a car. Today, almost all manufacturers have an AWD model on offer. The most iconic car Ferrari which has championed two-wheel drive has made a serious departure from its philosophy. The Ferrari FF is an Estate! Ferrari says this is to fulfil the demands of its customers who wanted a go-anywhere Ferrari, especially to ski-resorts where roads can be snow covered. Ferrari has always been associated with speed and impeccable road manners, which means road holding, cornering, braking, under test conditions the Ferrari FF has shown a remarkable improvement in what many considered to be the best-performing car. The best just got better, thanks to AWD. If you study the two accompanying photographs, you will notice the car is perched rather precariously on three wheels. Because of the all-wheel drive, the car will manage to pull itself out of such a situation and drive away.

It is this unique ability of an AWD vehicle that is fast making it a leading choice for motorists. Happy Motoring.

HOME