AWD stands for all-wheel drive, which is a system that allows a vehicle to send power to all four wheels when its needed. AWD vehicles have a powertrain that is capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are 1x1, which reflects one axle with one wheel capable of being powered. AWD is engineered for on-road use and is a transparent system that shuffles engine power back and forth between the front and rear wheels. Its default drive wheels are usually anything but slippery, loose, or rugged surfaces.
AWD is different from 4-wheel drive (4WD) . In the United States, the AWD term has indicated permanent drive sent to each wheel, but without the use of a transfer case. Four-wheel drive, on the other hand, has been used to refer to part-time or on-demand systems that do use a transfer case. Four-wheel drive systems can be full-time, meaning all four wheels are powered at all times, or part-time/on-demand, where power is mostly sent to one axle (almost always the rear with a 4WD vehicle) until the driver chooses to engage the other axle for four-wheel drive.
In summary, AWD is a system that allows a vehicle to send power to all four wheels when needed, and it is engineered for on-road use. It is different from 4-wheel drive, which can be full-time or part-time/on-demand and is often used for off-road driving.
