The GLK's 4Matic AWD's passing-grade
12-27-2009, 12:08 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jeep Cherokee Laredo, 2010 MB GLK 350
The GLK's 4Matic AWD's passing-grade
Correction: The title should read pass-ing.
Greetings everyone and Happy New Year!
I thought you'd be interested in this article even though the test car used here was the E350.
Mercedes' AWD system gets pass-ing grade
'Electronic nannies' make mountain journey effortless
BY GRAEME FLETCHER, CANWEST NEWS SERVICEDECEMBER 18, 2009
Mercedes-Benz has offered its 4Matic all-wheel-drive system for the past 25 years. Since the first generation appeared, Mercedes' engineers have massaged the full-time system to the point where it weighs half as much (dropping to just 70 kilograms from 140 kg), and it has been optimized so it fits into all of the company's sedans and wagons without having to modify the platform.
The fact the latest generation 4Matic consumes 1.3 litres per 100 kilometres less fuel than its predecessor speaks to the efficiency of the new system.
At the heart of the E350 sedan tester I drove was the fourth-generation 4Matic. The drive torque is split mechanically, sending 45 per cent to the front wheels and 55 per cent to the rear. What separates the latest system from its predecessors is a limited-slip centre differential, which is designed to help the vehicle pull away on very slick surfaces. However, as the clamping force (36.9 pound-feet) has been kept to a minimum, it doesn't cause the usual wind-up when the steering wheel is cranked to a full lock. Many lesser AWD systems make the car buck when turned sharply because the centre differential is unable to dissipate the wind-up caused when the front and rear axles turn at different speeds. It is a small touch, but it adds to the overall refinement and effectiveness of the system.
In fact, the latest 4Matic is seamless to the point where the driver remains oblivious to its action. Only the lack of wheelspin and the E's ability to scamper up slippery inclines give the game away.
The 4Matic all-wheel-drive system is then layered with an electronic nanny that's tied into the electronic stability control system (ESP). Along with the regular traction control side of the ESP comes something called 4ETS (Electronic Traction System). It is designed to prevent unwanted wheelspin on slippery roads. By braking the spinning wheel(s), 4ETS tricks the front or rear differential into powering the wheel with grip (it can apply each individual brake up to 20 times per second). This action allows the car to keep moving even if only one wheel has traction.
To prove the effectiveness of the system, M-B set up two different driving exercises. The first was conducted in a snow-covered parking lot. The exercise simulated accelerating around a slower-moving vehicle and then getting back into the proper lane before meeting oncoming traffic (a row of pylons, in this case). With the system doing its thing, the manoeuvre proved to be uneventful -- the ESP/4ETS modulated the engine's power and applied the brakes so the E-Class remained gathered up and pointed in the right direction. Turning the ESP off allowed a lot more wheelspin -- enough, in fact, that I was able to hang the tail out in a long power drift through the snow.
Having explored the limits in a closed environment, it was off to test the system in the real world. Of all of the roads I have driven around the world, the sliver of tarmac that runs up and over the Timmelsjoch-Hochalpenstrasse ranks as one of the very best.
The road bobs and weaves its way up to 2,509 metres before plunging back down. At this time of the year, the pass is normally closed. However, Mercedes managed to get a section of it opened up so we could put the system through it paces on this glorious ribbon of road. There are precipitous drops around every corner.
That, however, is why the drive was such a wonderful experience and a true test of any car.
With 4Matic and its electronic nannies working in harmony and the winter tires making the best of the limited grip on the snowy roads, the balance and predictability allowed us to drive an all-too-short section of the pass without incident.
© Copyright (c) The Province
Greetings everyone and Happy New Year!
I thought you'd be interested in this article even though the test car used here was the E350.
Mercedes' AWD system gets pass-ing grade
'Electronic nannies' make mountain journey effortless
BY GRAEME FLETCHER, CANWEST NEWS SERVICEDECEMBER 18, 2009
Mercedes-Benz has offered its 4Matic all-wheel-drive system for the past 25 years. Since the first generation appeared, Mercedes' engineers have massaged the full-time system to the point where it weighs half as much (dropping to just 70 kilograms from 140 kg), and it has been optimized so it fits into all of the company's sedans and wagons without having to modify the platform.
The fact the latest generation 4Matic consumes 1.3 litres per 100 kilometres less fuel than its predecessor speaks to the efficiency of the new system.
At the heart of the E350 sedan tester I drove was the fourth-generation 4Matic. The drive torque is split mechanically, sending 45 per cent to the front wheels and 55 per cent to the rear. What separates the latest system from its predecessors is a limited-slip centre differential, which is designed to help the vehicle pull away on very slick surfaces. However, as the clamping force (36.9 pound-feet) has been kept to a minimum, it doesn't cause the usual wind-up when the steering wheel is cranked to a full lock. Many lesser AWD systems make the car buck when turned sharply because the centre differential is unable to dissipate the wind-up caused when the front and rear axles turn at different speeds. It is a small touch, but it adds to the overall refinement and effectiveness of the system.
In fact, the latest 4Matic is seamless to the point where the driver remains oblivious to its action. Only the lack of wheelspin and the E's ability to scamper up slippery inclines give the game away.
The 4Matic all-wheel-drive system is then layered with an electronic nanny that's tied into the electronic stability control system (ESP). Along with the regular traction control side of the ESP comes something called 4ETS (Electronic Traction System). It is designed to prevent unwanted wheelspin on slippery roads. By braking the spinning wheel(s), 4ETS tricks the front or rear differential into powering the wheel with grip (it can apply each individual brake up to 20 times per second). This action allows the car to keep moving even if only one wheel has traction.
To prove the effectiveness of the system, M-B set up two different driving exercises. The first was conducted in a snow-covered parking lot. The exercise simulated accelerating around a slower-moving vehicle and then getting back into the proper lane before meeting oncoming traffic (a row of pylons, in this case). With the system doing its thing, the manoeuvre proved to be uneventful -- the ESP/4ETS modulated the engine's power and applied the brakes so the E-Class remained gathered up and pointed in the right direction. Turning the ESP off allowed a lot more wheelspin -- enough, in fact, that I was able to hang the tail out in a long power drift through the snow.
Having explored the limits in a closed environment, it was off to test the system in the real world. Of all of the roads I have driven around the world, the sliver of tarmac that runs up and over the Timmelsjoch-Hochalpenstrasse ranks as one of the very best.
The road bobs and weaves its way up to 2,509 metres before plunging back down. At this time of the year, the pass is normally closed. However, Mercedes managed to get a section of it opened up so we could put the system through it paces on this glorious ribbon of road. There are precipitous drops around every corner.
That, however, is why the drive was such a wonderful experience and a true test of any car.
With 4Matic and its electronic nannies working in harmony and the winter tires making the best of the limited grip on the snowy roads, the balance and predictability allowed us to drive an all-too-short section of the pass without incident.
© Copyright (c) The Province
Last edited by dlinjuly2009; 12-27-2009 at 12:24 PM.
