What is Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC®?

Are you considering purchasing a new Mercedes-Benz car or SUV? Perhaps you’ve noticed the 4MATIC® badge prominently displayed throughout the lineup, and you’re wondering what it stands for. Depending on your driving requirements, choosing a Mercedes-Benz sedan or crossover with 4MATIC® could make all the difference to your driving experience. Whether you’re sticking to city roads or planning to take your GLE SUV off the beaten track, 4MATIC® is available from our Fairfield dealership to improve your vehicle’s performance.

What Is Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC®?

4MATIC® is an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system that’s unique to Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Thanks to the cutting-edge engineering that drivers around the world have come to expect from the German automaker, Mercedes-Benz has created an AWD system that plays to the strengths of its entire vehicle lineup, from the compact A-Class sedan to the spacious GLS. By supplying torque to all four wheels as required, 4MATIC® ensures you obtain the best performance from your car, regardless of the conditions you’re driving in.

4MATIC® has a long history, during which Mercedes-Benz engineers have perfected and further developed its abilities. In 1979, the first G-Class off-roading specialist vehicle was equipped with an AWD system. This was one of the forerunners to 4MATIC®, which burst onto the scene with its current name in 1997. The year 2022 marked 4MATIC®’s 25th birthday, and it continues to achieve exciting new feats. For example, 2016 saw the introduction of 4MATIC®+, an AWD system specifically designed for the Mercedes-AMG® range of performance-oriented sports and luxury cars.

How Does Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC® Help You?

Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC® can assist you in just about as many ways as there are vehicles in the lineup. The 4MATIC® system in compact Mercedes-Benz vehicles such as the A- or B-Class features torque adjustments between the front and rear wheels.

What this means in practice is that your car can switch between front-wheel drive (FWD) and AWD as required. In normal driving conditions, your Mercedes-Benz will remain in FWD, which ensures you have the best fuel economy. However, if you find yourself on a slippery road or tackling a hill start, 4MATIC® will adjust to AWD to provide you with the extra traction you need to handle these challenging conditions.

If you choose a C-Class or E-Class vehicle, you can benefit from permanent AWD. This system gives you added performance when tackling gravel roads, winding trails, or your daily commute in poor weather. The 4MATIC® system in these vehicles is set to provide 45% torque to the front wheels and 55% to the rear wheels. This strong balance ensures that you’ll have a stable driving experience, irrespective of the surface your E-Class is dealing with.

If you’re more of an off-roading enthusiast, 4MATIC® can help you tackle rough terrain and other obstacles in the GLE and GLS SUVs. The 4MATIC® system in these vehicles offers you either permanent AWD or variable torque to the four wheels. SUVs with four-cylinder engines are generally fitted with the permanent AWD system, which distributes torque at a 50-50 ratio to the front and rear wheels.

For added performance, you can upgrade to a larger six-cylinder engine or hybrid setup, which comes with a variable 4MATIC® system that can adjust torque as required. This on-demand approach allows anywhere from 0% to 100% of the torque to go to the front or rear wheels as needed.

Finally, 4MATIC® can help Mercedes-AMG buyers to get the very best out of their high-performance vehicle when tackling a tight corner on the racetrack. The 4MATIC®+ system constantly calculates the appropriate ratio of torque to distribute to the front and rear wheels depending on your driving conditions and can make adjustments on demand. 4MATIC®+ always supplies power to the rear wheels and adds torque to the front wheels at the critical moment to help you achieve the perfect driving maneuver.

How Do You Use Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC®?

One of the best things about 4MATIC® is that it’s extremely easy to use. Any vehicle with the 4MATIC® badge will automatically engage the AWD system as and when required. For drivers like you, this means that you don’t need to do anything special to take advantage of 4MATIC®’s benefits. For instance, if you’re parked on a slope during a rainy day in your A-Class, 4MATIC® can provide instant torque to your rear wheels to help you get off to a smooth start as soon as you hit the accelerator.

4MATIC® monitors a range of factors to help it determine when it needs to take action. These factors can include your chosen gear, steering position, wheel rotations, and many others. As a result, it can identify whether you require more rear-wheel traction to help you get off to a steady start or more traction up front to take a tight corner.

Your 4MATIC® system also engages with other Mercedes-Benz features to ensure you can make the best use of its strengths. The Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) is a safety feature developed by Mercedes-Benz to produce the best response to a range of problems, such as a loss of steering control or traction. The ESP® coordinates its response with 4MATIC® so that your AWD system can determine where torque needs to go to produce the desired results. It also works closely with the DYNAMIC SELECT drive mode feature.

If you’ve still got questions about 4MATIC® and how it works, feel free to call us at (707) 430-0101 and speak to one of our Mercedes-Benz mechanical experts. Here at Mercedes-Benz of Fairfield, California, we’re familiar with the wide range of 4MATIC® types that feature across the diverse lineups from Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG®. We can even arrange for you to test drive your favorite Mercedes-Benz in Fairfield, so you can see how 4MATIC® performs on California’s roads.

Alternatively, why not explore our full range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles that offer 4MATIC® in our online showroom? If you’d rather take a closer look for yourself, our inventory is waiting at our Fairfield dealership for you to take a look at in person. If you stop by, one of our helpful sales team members can assist you to choose the best Mercedes-Benz crossover or car for your needs. Our finance team can provide you with a competitive auto loan, while our service team members can professionally fit upgrade packages, including off-roading features.