Mercedes develops 4MATIC all wheel drive technology for CLA

Mercedes-Benz has added a promising technology to its eagerly anticipated CLA sedan.

The entry level sedan from the Mercedes stable will receive a specifically developed 4MATIC all wheel drive system. The new 4MATIC that goes into the CLA is designed to marry the front transaxle which derives power from a transversely mounted engine.

The 4MATIC is expected to amplify the driving experience of the performance oriented CLA 45 AMG which will debut alongside the regular sedan next year. Mercedes says that the new 4MATIC is a completely new development which is tailor made for models that adopt MFA platform.

The all wheel drive system has what is called as Power Take-off Unit (PTU) which is integrated into the 7G-DCT autobox. PTU drives the rear axle via electrohydraulically controlled multi-disk clutch. This system derives lubricant from the main transmission's oil circuit, hence it's around 25% lighter than similar all wheel drive systems and enables variable torque distribution between front and rear axles (torque on demand).

The 4MATIC is activated "as often as necessary, as rarely as possible", so that whenever there is no necessity, the car will turn only its front wheels to maximize efficiency. The 4MATIC has three driving modes namely ECO which channels most of the power to front wheels, Sport and Manual modes which supply more power to he rear axle.

The 4MATIC is expected to make the CLA sedan as good to drive as it is to ogle at.

[Note: The car pictured is of Concept Style Coupe on which the CLA is based]