After a considerable absence, all-wheel-drive will return to the Volkswagen line later this year.VW Canada will offer the 4Motion option in two trims of 2000 Passat sedan and wagon for a premium of $2,750.
The exact MSRPs are as follows: as a sedan the GLS V6 will be $36,730 and as a wagon $37,905; in GLX trim, the sedan is $41,900 and the wagon $43,075.
The 4Motion system is available exclusively on V6-equipped Passats with VW's 5-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic, a feature that allows pseudo-shifting by the driver.
By continuously distributing power to all four wheels at all speeds, 4Motion is billed as a "traction enhancing system." An automatic-locking Torsen centre differential distributes engine torque to the front and rear axles, on a 50-50 basis in normal driving conditions. On low grip surfaces, however, the wheels with the higher level of adhesion receive more of the power -- up to a front-rear ratio of 67-33, or vice-versa.
In addition to shifting the power fore and aft, 4Motion uses an Electronic Differential Locking system to shift the power from side-to-side.
Using these two systems, it is possible for a Passat with 4Motion to use any one of its wheels for enough traction to provide propulsion.