AWD vs 4WD

Umm...Yes.

But maybe you need to elaborate a little more.
There is no such thing as a dedicated four wheel drive road. But some tracks, or at
least the condition of some, are more suitable to vehicles with higher clearance, or low range gearboxes, or locked diffs. or winch enabled vehicles.

Most off-road tracks can be traversed by a capable driver in a bog standard vehicle, but when the track conditions change, usually following rain, even a 4WD vehicle with one or all of the above mentioned options, will simply have to "wait it out" until conditions improve.

Does your Kia have a lockable centre differential.
If not (with open diffs) it is effectively a 1 wheel drive vehicle. Traction control then becomes very active indeed.

While it's design does/can supply power to ALL wheels does it do that all the time?
Toyota Rav4, Honda and others only drive the two front wheels and the 4 aspect becomes turned on when wheel slip rate of front wheels is detected by wheel sensors and ABS action.

Do you know exactly what your vehicle features do or the way it works, That info presented here will allow people to give a more accurate answer to the question.

If the sign says "open" to vehicles under 3t, then yes, you can drive it in your Sportage, as it's a vehicle under 3t.

If the sign says "open" to 4WD, but closed to other vehicles under/over 3t - then no, you can't drive the road in anything other than a 4WD.

I would contend that an "All Wheel Drive" vehicle that has 4 wheels is in fact a "Four Wheel Drive" vehicle.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

There appears to be no such thing as a "dedicated 4WD road", but there are roads where closure or otherwise is determined by a vehicle classification. The problem with such systems is the bureaucrats who administer it, and their seemingly limited knowledge of vehicles.

In 2016 we were in Birdsville with plans to head south, and waiting for the track to be reopened in the week before the Big Bash. Being in an AWD at the time, I asked your question of SA's DPTI enquiry line.

It took about 3/4 of an hour explaining to the staffer that no, not ALL AWD's were 2WD's with drive to the other two wheels being dependent on (a) speed OR (b) operator selection. When it finally sank in with her that a Subaru AWD is permanent full-time drive to all four wheels, she said yes we could traverse the track when opened to 4WD/under-3T. (There was no discrimination on whether the central or other diffs were lockable, limited slip, viscous clutch or open. Go figure.)

Many AWD's are NOT full-time drive to 4 wheels, and that seemed to be the sticking point. Using that approach, a "4WD" with free-wheeling front hubs would NOT be allowed. Again, go figure.

It's really a nonsense the haphazard way it is administered, but it is THEIR game so we have to play by THEIR rules as the fines they can impose are eye-watering. When in doubt, ask the relevant body - in the case pictured the Shire of Yilgarn - and get the name of the person giving you the ruling.

my understanding is a proper 4wd has a drive motor on each wheel?

Hi Outback Wanderers, a lot of pedantic answers here. By definition, a 4WD is a vehicle that has two axles, and the ability to provide engine torque to all 4 wheels, either full time or on demand. An AWD is slightly different depending on how the engine torque is applied to the wheels, and can be classified as either a 4WD, or a 2WD. In your case, the Kia Sportage would fall into the category of a 4WD.

So the answer to your question is that you are permitted to “legally” travel on a 4WD only road. However, IMHO, I wouldn’t as you are likely to suffer some significant damage to either suspension components, or underbody panels. The Kia Sportage was not designed for “off road” use.

Macca.

It is my understanding that the reason for roads being closed to all vehicles other than 4wd is to eliminate or at least reduce the damage that can be done to such roads by vehicles breaking the surface of such roads due to wheel slip or spin. A wheel that is just rolling along on the surface is far less likely to cause damage than one that is slipping and breaking the surface.

As this is the aim then any vehicle that provides for equal, or near equal, driving forces to each and every wheel would be acceptable.

Any attempt to argue that such vehicles as Land Rover Discovery/Defender, Range Rover, Toyota 80/100/200, Prado, all being AWD vehicles do not meet the criteria of providing a near equal driving force to each wheel would surely be strongly argued against by the respective manufacturers.

As the authorities are willing to accept that the common 'run of the mill' 4WD vehicles are acceptable then they are accepting that the likes of the Toyota 45/60/70 series of vehicles, also most, if not all, the current crop of 4WD utes and SUV's would all be suitable for use of these roads. Any and all of these vehicles with constant RWD and selectable 4WD are not fitted with any provision for allowing the front and rear axles to rotate at differing speeds when negotiating corners and therefore causing some slippage of one or more wheels on the road surface, therefore breaking the hard surface and introducing a point of potential erosion of the road surface with future rain.

Without some form of direct mechanical interference to prevent normal differential action taking place then any AWD vehicle can very quickly become a 1WD, as the maximum power that can be transmitted to the ground IS DIRECTLY CONTROLLED BY THE TYRE WITH THE LEAST RESISTANCE, that is the tyre that breaks traction first as all the available torque will be lost through that wheel.

Likewise without some form of direct mechanical interference to prevent normal differential action taking place then any 4WD vehicle can very quickly become a 2WD, as the maximum power that can be transmitted to the ground is directly controlled by the wheel that has the least resistance on the END of the vehicle that has the best grip on the road (ie if a front wheel has lost all traction then the drive is governed by the wheel with the least grip on the rear)

By DIRECT MECHANICAL INTERFERENCE I am referring to such things as manual or automatic differential locks, the ARB Air Locker, Detriot Locker, Loka, and Ford's Hydra Trak (fitted to some models of Falcon vehicles) or similar. Limited Slip Diffs are NOT included as they all require resistance from both wheels to operate, these include Torsen and most original fitment LSD's.

Regards
Athol

The problem is one of 'definition' , over the years our vehicles have changed and it has become a mine field of what constitutes a 4 wheel drive , once we only had 2 wheel drive [rear wheels] and 2 wheel drive [ front wheel ] and of course 4 wheel drive with that 2nd gear lever and free wheeling hubs .......then things started to change because we got lazy , no more free wheeling hubs for the masses [ who wants to get out to lock the hubs in ? ] , we lose the 2nd stick for a dial on the dash because why stop to engage when a little electric motor can do it for us ? Then we get even lazier , we want AWD so we have to do nothing but steer......just remember that a lot of places , long before graded roads and tracks , were done in a model T ford ...... says it all really ......

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Maybe it would help to refer to the ExplorOz Related Pages Article titled 4WD vs AWD at the very bottom of this page.

If nothing else, it will give you lot some more to argue about. lol

BTW what is a high clearance vehicle? What are the dimensions and where are they measured?

Kia uses a DynaMax AWD system, you’re not going to have an issue with sending torque to all four wheels. Especially with the lockable centre diff. Just get some aggressive all terrains and be prepared for the unexpected, as you would with any vehicle.