[pezzy668]

It has slightly bugged me since I picked up my '21 that all we get is a very generic AWD plastered on the side plate of the car that is not even noticeable unless you are a few feet away from the drivers or passenger door.

4Motion is a known brand name for VW AWD and anyone with half a brain should know what 4Motion is. I honestly think VW did themselves a dis-service by placing some non-descript AWD badges up on the side instead of doing some actual 4Motion branding. Audi still calls their versions Quattro, Mercedes still calls their EQ cars 4Matic and BMW stills calls theirs xDrive.

Just one of those random questions that popped up in my head after being behind an Atlas and Tiguan today during my commute that had 4Motion badges.

 

[928GTS]

Great observation. Come to think of it, my wife's Taos has a 4motion badge on the rear. I think I'm going to just buy a 4 motion badge and mount it on the rear of my 22 AWD PRO S.

 

[Huey52]

Presumably because VW 4Motion (and Audi Quattro) are rather complex/ingenious ICE AWD transmissions/differentials, but as we know the ID simply has a gearbox (per motor AWD). So not ID appropriate imho.

 

[Enzeder]

@Huey52 checks out. But, AWD seems a bit of a misnomer. Most of the time the car is RWD. Maybe we could call it RWD+

 

[Huey52]

@Huey52 checks out. But, AWD seems a bit of a misnomer. Most of the time the car is RWD. Maybe we could call it RWD+

Most all ICE AWD vehicles are FWD most of the time. Better fuel economy with AWD only as needed. So they too a bit of a misnomer.

 

[BlueDH]

Great observation. Come to think of it, my wife's Taos has a 4motion badge on the rear. I think I'm going to just buy a 4 motion badge and mount it on the rear of my 22 AWD PRO S.

Get the emblem and uniquify your ID.4.

 

[Spin]

@Huey52 checks out. But, AWD seems a bit of a misnomer. Most of the time the car is RWD.

That is the description of AWD. 4WD is something else.

 

[Mrau]

Dual Motor may be a more accurate description for ID4 than AWD or 4Motion.

 

[Enzeder]

That is the description of AWD. 4WD is something else.

I thought it was the other way around. 4WD was traditionally RWD until the locking hubs up front were engaged.
Conversely, in AWD (like the quattro system) both axles were always engaged (center diff FTW). On my older Audis I had a dial to lock the diffs, but all four wheels were always driven. My later Audis were smarter and faster than me, so they took over duties of directing power, but I'm pretty sure all four wheels were driven all the time.

 

[Fahrer]

I thought it was the other way around. 4WD was traditionally RWD until the locking hubs up front were engaged.
Conversely, in AWD (like the quattro system) both axles were always engaged (center diff FTW). On my older Audis I had a dial to lock the diffs, but all four wheels were always driven. My later Audis were smarter and faster than me, so they took over duties of directing power, but I'm pretty sure all four wheels were driven all the time.

Current VW AWD systems drive the front wheels only until demand for rear power is required. A pump with a set of wet clutches in the rear then direct power to the rear wheels. Audis were full time AWD but the latest generation is similar to VW in that the they run FWD until rear traction is needed. The downside of these part time systems is that they are more complex and require more service just to get a 1-2 mpg improvement.

So the ID.4 AWD system that is RWD mostly functions operationally similar to the ICE models but with two electric motors instead of a drive shaft bringing power to the other end of the vehicle.

Another disadvantage of the VW ICE AWD system is that when the car is built as FWD only, there are no bevel gears which increase friction. The engine, transmission and driveshafts are all in the same direction. With the VW AWD system ( Atlas, Tiquan, Alltrack, etc) a bevel gear set is added in the front in order to send power ( perpendicular) rearward and then another bevel gear arrangement in the rear diff to again redirect power perpendicularly to the rear drive shafts. So more weight, the addition of two bevel gear sets and the added Haldex pump clutch system for the rear. This all adds up to some noticeable drag.

 

[pezzy668]

Even within automakers there are various versions of AWD so the 4Matic, xDrive, 4Motion are really just all branding to show all 4 wheels have motivation.

For example Mercedes 4Matic (at least as of 10 years ago) was a full time AWD on the RWD based cars with a fixed split that could vary but on FWD cars (CLA & GLA) were 100% FWD until slip occurred. Audi I believe was full time AWD on the longitudinal cars (Torsen) but on transverse cars (Haldex) it was FWD until slip occurred. Don't follow BMW too much but imagine their xDrive are different between their RWD and FWD platforms as well.

Its all just branding so it still just makes me scratch my head that VW didn't just call it 4Motion. I might actually do what an above poster suggested and buy a badge from an Atlas, Tiguan or Taos and slap it on the tailgate of my ID.4.

 

[d287]

So more weight, the addition of two bevel gear sets and the added Haldex pump clutch system for the rear. This all adds up to some noticeable drag.

Not to mention the maintenance costs! Fortunately, I don't mind doing my own fluid changes - but my dealer quoted me $1,300 for the 30,000 mile service, on top of the oil & filter change... needless to say, I politely thanked him, went home and got my ramps out.

For anyone who's curious, the 4Motion system in my Alltrack means the car contains the following fluids in addition to Engine oil, brake fluid and coolant:

• Transmission
• Bevel Box (aka Center Differential)
• Front Differential
• Rear Differential
• Haldex system (hydraulic fluid)

So, yeah, EVs are amazing!

 

[pezzy668]

Not to mention the maintenance costs! Fortunately, I don't mind doing my own fluid changes - but my dealer quoted me $1,300 for the 30,000 mile service, on top of the oil & filter change... needless to say, I politely thanked him, went home and got my ramps out.

For anyone who's curious, the 4Motion system in my Alltrack means the car contains the following fluids in addition to Engine oil, brake fluid and coolant:

• Transmission
• Bevel Box (aka Center Differential)
• Front Differential
• Rear Differential
• Haldex system (hydraulic fluid)

So, yeah, EVs are amazing!

Don't forget having the tires within a few MM of wear between each other so you don't wear out the system.

My departed E350 4Matic there was never any consensus on allowable tolerance and even message board recommendation was 'replace all 4 tires'.

 

[Fahrer]

Even within automakers there are various versions of AWD so the 4Matic, xDrive, 4Motion are really just all branding to show all 4 wheels have motivation.

For example Mercedes 4Matic (at least as of 10 years ago) was a full time AWD on the RWD based cars with a fixed split that could vary but on FWD cars (CLA & GLA) were 100% FWD until slip occurred. Audi I believe was full time AWD on the longitudinal cars (Torsen) but on transverse cars (Haldex) it was FWD until slip occurred. Don't follow BMW too much but imagine their xDrive are different between their RWD and FWD platforms as well.

Its all just branding so it still just makes me scratch my head that VW didn't just call it 4Motion. I might actually do what an above poster suggested and buy a badge from an Atlas, Tiguan or Taos and slap it on the tailgate of my ID.4.

The new Audis are FWD until slipping occurs with Quattro with Ultra Tech..

https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/what-is-audi-quattro-with-ultra-technology

 

[BlueDH]

Not to mention the maintenance costs! Fortunately, I don't mind doing my own fluid changes - but my dealer quoted me $1,300 for the 30,000 mile service, on top of the oil & filter change... needless to say, I politely thanked him, went home and got my ramps out.

For anyone who's curious, the 4Motion system in my Alltrack means the car contains the following fluids in addition to Engine oil, brake fluid and coolant:

• Transmission
• Bevel Box (aka Center Differential)
• Front Differential
• Rear Differential
• Haldex system (hydraulic fluid)

So, yeah, EVs are amazing!

Keep your receipts for proof of maintenance.

 

[d287]

Keep your receipts for proof of maintenance.

Always!

 

[7S POWER]

Audi still calls their versions Quattro, Mercedes still calls their EQ cars 4Matic and BMW stills calls theirs xDrive.

quattro the GOAT

 

[NeverhadanEVbefore]

4Motion is a known brand name for VW AWD and anyone with half a brain should know what 4Motion is. I honestly think VW did themselves a dis-service by placing some non-descript AWD badges up on the side instead of doing some actual 4Motion branding.

Funny how quite a few of "issues" are specific to the US.

In Europe, Volkswagen re-introduced the 4Motion label last summer, when ID.4 4Motion was introduced. And now GTX is labeled GTX 4Motion.

This is about the time it was announced that the ID.3 GTX would not be all wheel drive, meaning that GTX = AWD would not be accurate in the future. Also the non-GTX 4Motion has less power than GTX 4Motion.


Granted, GTX has the GTX badge only, and I couldn't find an image on whether the other version has a 4Motion badge, but at least that is in the model name.

 

[BlueDH]

$2.00 x 15,000 vehicles = $30,000. It all adds up.