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Four Wheel Drive

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Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 ("four by four"), all-wheel drive, and AWD are terms used to describe a four-wheeled vehicle with a drive-train that allows all four wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously.

Four-wheel drive (4WD or 4x4 for short) is the original term and is often used to describe vehicles that require the driver to manually switch between a two wheel drive mode for streets and a four-wheel drive mode for low traction conditions such as ice, mud, or loose gravel. The "all-wheel drive" (AWD) term is a marketing term used to sell primarily on-road 4WD vehicles. However, in Australia, AWD is generally used for passenger vehicles that drive all four wheels all the time (e.g., a Subaru), whereas 4WD is used for vehicles designed primarily for heavy off-road use, normally with a low range transfer case (e.g., a Land Rover Defender, Mercedes G-Wagen or Toyota Landcruiser). So all in all the terminology used for four wheel drive vehicles can be a little confusing!