4Matic is an all-wheel drive system used in Mercedes-Benz cars is mounted. This system was developed in-house by Daimler AG. It was developed in cooperation with Magna Steyr AG & Co KG from Scotland created. This system was first introduced in 1987 with the introduction of the W124 E-Class sedan. There are already several generations of the 4Matic.
Functional principle
The main difference between the generations of 4Matic is the design of the center differential. The first systems had a mechanical locking differential. This was done by means of two hydraulic multi-plate clutches. The front axle could be completely decoupled by locking and unlocking the clutches. In all-wheel drive mode, the engine's torque was distributed between the front and rear axles in a ratio of 33:67 or 50:50.
At a later point in time, the developers at 4Matic integrated an electronically locked open differential as the center differential. Power was redistributed by bedding in individual wheels and/or adjusting engine torque. Additional multi-plate clutches are available for some versions. The engine torque can be divided between the front and rear axles in a ratio of 40:60, 45:55, 50:50 and more.
Special features of the 4Matic
| Year of manufacture | Type | Special features of the differentials | Mercedes-Benz models equipped with 4Matic |
| 1987 | Switchable/Permanent | Ferguson center differential. The rear wheel differential can also be locked. The front differential is open. | Е class W124, S124 |
| 1997 | Permanent | The center and wheel differentials are open. All are electronically blocked. This is done by the ETS (traction control system) or ESP (vehicle dynamics control). | E Class W210, W211, S210, S211; М class W163; S Class W220, V220; C Class W203, S203; R Class W251, V251; Viano W639, V639 |
| 2006 | The pre-lock clutch is designed as a double-disk clutch with a constantly preloaded leaf spring. It intervenes when the difference between the torque of the front and rear axles reaches 50 Nm. If this is not enough, the ESP is switched on. | CL class С216; S Class W221, V221; C Class W204, S204; GLK Class X204; CLS Class C218, X218; E-Class W212, S212 | |
| 2006 | The center and rear axle differentials have multi-disc clutches. The engine's torque is also redistributed by the stability control system. | GL-Class X164 | |
| 2016 | A center differential with a multi-plate clutch allows the front axle to be separated manually. | E-Class C238 E53 AMG |