Skoda has used a 4x4 system since the Octavia Estate back in 1999, the current system is the fifth-generation of the technology. It uses an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch which works automatically, it is very efficient and economical. It leads the way on a wet or snowy road.
At the end of 2019, Skoda had sold more than one million 4x4 vehicles. During 2019 Skoda built over 157,000 4x4 variants of their Octavia, Superb, Karoq and Kodiaq, with 60% of Kodiaq's being specified with the 4x4 system.
Even when driven on a normal dry asphalt road, the all-wheel-drive system gives improved traction, stability and handling. In normal driving conditions, only the front wheels are driven, if the front wheels lose traction, power is transferred to the rear wheels through the multi-plate clutch in fractions of a second. This all happens automatically, without the driver having to do anything.
The all-wheel-drive system communicates with the safety features such as, ABS (anti-lock braking system) and ESC (electronic stabilisation control), which allows the electronics to react to changing conditions quickly (in milliseconds). When cornering fast, a percentage of the drive torque is moved to the outside wheels to help stabilise the vehicle.
When there is a difference in speed of the axels, no matter how small, an automatic intervention is enabled. Readings from sensors such as; engine speed, accelerator pedal position, wheel speed, steering angle and lateral and longitudinal acceleration are taken into account too.
Recently, Skoda has expanded their range of all-wheel-drive vehicles, with their SUVs; Karoq and Kodiaq, as well as the Octavia and Superb being available with 4x4 models.
