Four to the floor
There is an old saying that power is nothing without control. For decades cars were either front-wheel or rear-wheel drive, but it was Audi that truly set the cat amongst the pigeons with their advanced Quattro system. As time has gone on, most auto manufacturers now have some form of all-wheel-drive system, Audi has Quattro, Suzuki has AllGrip, BMW has xDrive, and so on and so forth.
Related: Mazda G-Vectoring Control Explained
Volkswagen is in on the game too, with their version being called 4Motion, this is their proprietary system and actually consists of two different types, depending on engine mounting position.
Drive in Motion
Volkswagen has two types of 4Motion systems, one called Haldex and one called Torsen. Depending on which type of vehicle and engine setup you have will determine which system your vehicle is fitted with.
Vehicles that have widthwise mounted engines such as hatchbacks, small SUVs and crossovers such as the Golf R and T series, normally have the Haldex system. Haldex sends power predominantly to the front wheels, splitting to the rears when needed. Longways mounted engines such as those in the Amarok will normally have the Torsen system which has a 50/50 power distribution to all 4 wheels, front and rear.
This is of course a very simplified explanation as both systems have vectoring and the ability to control how much power goes to each wheel, effectively controlling how the car drives in slippery and low traction conditions.
Do you need it?
4motion is nice to have and does make your car safer and easier to drive, but you don't have to have it. The benefits of the 4Motion system far outweigh any negatives, with better handling, vehicle control, and performance being top of the list. AWD drive systems are naturally heavier and more complex, stunting performance and being costly to repair if they ever break.
