XC60 - Need information on AWD

[ra5040]

Hi,
I often drive on very bad roads - muddy, snowy, icy - and I very much need to know how the XC60 AWD works. I've tried my dealer: misinformation. I have a request in to Volvo ... and I expect I will eventually get a reply, but it's taking a long time. Does anyone know?

I do understand the Haldex coupling. I have no idea how the front and rear differentials work or what type they are. The manual says to turn off DSTC (or rather put it into Sports mode) on slippery roads, but it gives no further information.

The reason I need this information is that I do get into situations where 2 or 3 wheels (or all wheels!) have lost traction and I would like to know how I should get out of this situation (and why driving in this way would help me to).

So far I've not taken the XC60 on these types of roads. My previous car was a Freelander and at least with that car there was no shortage of information on the AWD.

I will post any information I get on this forum, but I really would appreciate any information you may have!

Thanks!

[simonjedrake]

When I was asking myself the same question several years ago, the power of Google pointed me to several YouTube videos that gave some excellent examples of just effective the AWD system was & how it operated in different circumstances.

[Brodick]

First of all it doesn't really matter what type of drive you have if you don't have the right tyres.
Volvo seem to stick summer road tyres on their XC vehicles which are ok in normal day to day running. In snow / mud etc the awd works (i.e all four wheels turn) but no real traction thanks to the tyres.
The freelander can be locked in 4wd unlike the volvo and has better ground clearance.
The volvo's awd system is good one of the best in the soft roader market but you will need to purchase a set of winter tyres for the winter or if you so require off road tyres and you should be fine

P.s the Freelander has 4wd. Not AWD

[Clan]

Originally Posted by ra5040

Hi,
I often drive on very bad roads - muddy, snowy, icy - and I very much need to know how the XC60 AWD works. I've tried my dealer: misinformation. I have a request in to Volvo ... and I expect I will eventually get a reply, but it's taking a long time. Does anyone know?

I do understand the Haldex coupling. I have no idea how the front and rear differentials work or what type they are. The manual says to turn off DSTC (or rather put it into Sports mode) on slippery roads, but it gives no further information.

The reason I need this information is that I do get into situations where 2 or 3 wheels (or all wheels!) have lost traction and I would like to know how I should get out of this situation (and why driving in this way would help me to).

So far I've not taken the XC60 on these types of roads. My previous car was a Freelander and at least with that car there was no shortage of information on the AWD.

I will post any information I get on this forum, but I really would appreciate any information you may have!

Thanks!

The front end is conventional the rear end has a normal differential and the propshaft is driven directly from the front crown wheel ... but has a clutch at the back to vary the drive that goes into the rear axle .

The car starts off from rest with all 4 wheels driven then when you get going the real axle is disconnected ...

As soon as slip is detected front to rear, the clutch is brought in to a variable extent to give rear wheel drive too until the slip is under control , then the drive is disconnected again until the next slip is detected .
If one side looses traction that brake is applied variably to transfer drive to the other side , front or rear axle ..
All this happens very fast , many times per second and within 1/6 of a wheel rotation on each wheel ....

Hopefully that covers it in a nutshell ..

[Whiterdesign]

Brodick
I think you are wrong saying that the Freelander can be locked in 4 wd, it can't.
The haldex system that is used by ford, Volvo and land rover, was developed when Ford were in charge. In fact the main developer was Volvo as Haldex is a Swedish company. This system is now use by Ford in the Kuga, Volvo and Landrover both in the Freelander and Evogue.there might be minor differences but basically they are the same.

[Brodick]

Originally Posted by Whiterdesign

Brodick
I think you are wrong saying that the Freelander can be locked in 4 wd, it can't.
The haldex system that is used by ford, Volvo and land rover, was developed when Ford were in charge. In fact the main developer was Volvo as Haldex is a Swedish company. This system is now use by Ford in the Kuga, Volvo and Landrover both in the Freelander and Evogue.there might be minor differences but basically they are the same.

No, you are quite right. I guess sand mode in the freelander is the nearest to full 4wd lock. I was away thinking about the defender in the middle of me post for some reason.

Having had the car off road on few occasions the rest of my post does stand however.

[Westyman]

My view of Volvo's AWD is you get stuck later than with 2WD

[richy2]

Highly impressed with my AWD D5 Geartronic version, mainly from experience in muddy fields towing a car trailer, it's been excellent. I pop it into Sport mode for the gearbox and switch off the DTSC and it's very capable...within reason for the type of car of course, I'm not expecting it to climb Everest but both on road in winter and off road in mud it has exceeded my expectations for a Haldex based system. It tackled a particularly muddy field in particular this year where I was in truth expecting it to get stuck having seen others struggle... and in traditional 4WD machinery, but with a bit of skill, maybe some luck it pulled it off and drew the attention of some other folks who I think also expected me to get stuck, well done Volvo.

[Eksseesixtee]

VW uses HALDEX for its 4-motion (VW), Quattro(Audi) and 4x4 (Skoda) cars.
I currently have a Skoda 4x4 and the only time I have ever got all 4 wheels spinning was on sheer ice (and it had to be provoked).

As for locking the transmission in AWD mode, surely that's what happens when DSC is disengaged?

[Harvey1512]

Adding to the last post, I had a 4wd Yeti for two years. I did not drive it through total mud baths but it never put a wheel wrong through an awful lot of snow, ice and some winter field work. You do not know when it kicks in as you just keep driving. It does its stuff automatically and is frankly marvellous. As that and the XC60 both use Haldex I would not think twice about it.

People are making fair points about tyres if you are going to do some serious off roading but otherwise I can safely say that I have never felt more confident that my car would keep me moving in poor conditions than that Yeti. (before people start sending in "beware over confidence posts" I always adjusted my driving to the relevant conditions and was uber careful) Don't worry how it works, it just does.