What Is 4Matic?

Wet roads, including rain, loose snow, or slush are to blame for about 30% of all accidents in Canada (according to the Traffic Accident Information System). In hopes of reducing this statistic, Mercedes-Benz introduced 4Matic, an all-wheel-drive system designed to increase traction during slippery conditions.

FIRST GEN

The first generation of 4Matic was introduced in 1987 on the Mercedes Saloons, a four-door sedan, as well as the Mercedes Estate, station wagons. It was a complex electronically controlled system with an automatically engaging four-wheel-drive. The system used locking central and rear differentials to allow for additional traction in slippery conditions. This first model of 4Matic was futuristic and groundbreaking technology, but it did have some reliability factors, causing the design team to discontinue its use in 1993, upgrading to the second generation.

SECOND GEN

This second generation of 4Matic relied on a full-time four-wheel-drive system with three open differentials on the front, center and rear. This was the first time Mercedes used a front differential lock, due to safety and stability concerns in the first generation. Traction control used ETS (Electronic Traction System), employing the ABS system with extra valves to monitor, and then begin breaking when any wheel lost traction. It was a much simpler system that Mercedes-Benz was proud to feature in the M-Class SUV.

THIRD GEN

In 2008, 4Matic was upgraded again, providing true all-wheel-drive, where the system is permanently active. This generation offered sophisticated engine management and the ABS systems controlled the amount of torque transferred to each wheel. This allowed the system to work effectively, regardless of the speed.

FOURTH GEN

The fourth generation of the 4Matic, called “4Matic+” was introduced by Mercedes in 2016. This high-tech system is able to send 100% of the available engine torque to either the front or rear axis as needed. In the E-Class, an additional setting was created in the E63 S AMG model that will disconnect the front axle from the powertrain, essentially transforming the automobile into a rear-wheel-drive vehicle; now commonly referred to as “Drift Mode”.

TECH 4MATIC USES TO KEEP YOU IN CONTROL

-Independent wheels: 4-ETS means individual sensors and breaks are on every wheel, so if only one of your wheels has traction, 4Matic keeps you rolling, instead of sliding. It also allows each wheel to rotate at different speeds. Think about making a turn in your vehicle, the wheels on the outside need to spin faster to make up for the longer distance. Being able to adjust the speed of each wheel allows you to make it through a turn faster, with more precision.

-Full Integration: 4Matic isn’t just an add-on, it’s fully integrated into your Mercedes. Working with all the other safetyfeatures in your car, it ensures you’re getting the maximum safety possible.

-Immediate feedback from your current road conditions: Imagine your car looking at each new foot of road you travel as its own micro condition, which gets evaluated and reevaluated every foot you drive. Your Mercedes is consistently working to ensure the best possible ride. Both the engine and the wheels change automatically to match any road condition.  So even if you’ve been driving on perfectly dry pavement and hit a patch of ice without warning, the car will compensate for the ice patch, before you have a chance to notice or react.

TRY IT FOR YOUR SELF

Here in Calgary, where the weather can change in an instant, so can our driving conditions. The best way to learn what 4Matic is, is to experience it for yourself. Schedule a test drive to feel what it’s like to drive a car with such a precise safety feature.