<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PhilD:
It is full time 4WD. It is not AWD. AWD is not really designed for off road use and doesn't do very well off road....
Full time 4WD is the correct answer, although some will no doubt argue...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I took this as an invitation. It IS full time 4WD but it is also AWD. My limited understanding is that AWD can simply be a full time 4WD system that continually modulates the power to the wheels based on torque needs at each wheel. This is what 4HI Open does in the H2. While there is normally a 40/60 power split front/back, the H2 uses a sophisticated system to detect slippage at each wheel and manages the slippage by transferring power to the appropriate wheel.
When the 4HI Locked is chosen, the H2 is now in full time 4WD with a 50/50 split front/rear with the traction control still part of the process.
When someone asks, it's easier to say full-time 4WD because AWD makes people think of things like Volvo's and Suburu's but from a pure definition standpoint I think both answers are correct because all full-time 4WD vehicles have to be AWD by definition but not all AWD systems are full-time 4WD. The reason is that some AWD systems send all the power to the rear until in detects slippage, therefore it would be a 2WD until slippage occurs.
The H2 would be considered both AWD and full-time 4WD. I think I typed what I was thinking, but then again I might have confused myself on this one.
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