It's a word we've all heard, but one which only some of us might understand. From what started out as an innovative game-changer in the rallying world, Audi's quattro system soon made its way into everyday driving and continues to shape our journeys to this day.
But what is it, and how does it work?
Well, that's where we come in! In this article, you'll find out everything you need to know about quattro and, most importantly, whether an Audi quattro model could be for you.
What does Quattro Mean?
It comes from the Italian word for ‘four’, as Quattro is the label that Audi puts on all of its vehicles which have four or all-wheel drive. If you don't already know, four-wheel drive is basically when power is distributed across all four wheels. That's as opposed to a two-wheeler where all the power goes to either the two front or the two rear wheels.
History of the Quattro
The Quattro system was born out of the rallying world. Its origins go back to the winter of 1976-77 when some Audi engineers conducted test drives in the deep snow of Sweden. With them was a four-wheel drive Iltis (a vehicle built for the West German military), which easily outdid the more powerful Audi prototypes with their front-wheel drive systems.
The Itlis showed Audi's engineers that four-wheel drive could be good for more than just rambling about a farm. They were impressed by how good it was in slippery conditions compared to the rallying world's two-wheel drive vehicles which dominated at the time, such as the Lancia Stratos, the Ford Escort and the Fiat Abarth. Hence, the quattro idea came into being and the rest, as they say, is history.
The participation of all-wheel drive vehicles for rallying was legalised in 1979, but most manufacturers believed it would make the cars too heavy and dysfunctional. Audi of course had other ideas, and at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show they revealed their first quattro model (a 200hp coupe now known as the Ur-Quattro) to the world.
It made its debut at the 1980 Algarve Rally Championship, blowing the competition away with its superb all-terrain ability. Quattro in fact proved so successful that by the latter half of the 1980s the technology had filtered down to the firm's road cars, normalising all-wheel drive for regular road-going performance cars. Ever since then, quattro (note the lower-case 'q') has been used in a range of Audi production models.
How Does Quattro Work?
Now for the boring (or, if you're the right sort of person, not-so-boring) science behind the whole process.
Basically, in designing the first quattro vehicle, Audi got to work on a variant of the Audi 80 and hollowed a drilled-out, 263 millimetre (10.4 in) secondary shaft in the transmission through which power was able to flow in two directions to both front and rear axles. This made the all-wheel-drive system light, compact and tension-free.
The system is compact enough to be fitted within the car’s gearbox and can be adjusted to send power to whichever wheel has the most grip. Because these units are both much smaller and lighter than a conventional transfer box, they’re also much more efficient.
Typically, most all-wheel-drive cars have this kind of transfer box fitted inside them. The transfer box usually sits after the gearbox and, as we've said, it divides the engine’s power between the front and the rear wheels.
So why don’t all cars have them, then? Well, the problem is that these systems are usually heavy and difficult to package in smaller cars, but there are still smaller Audi models with quattro fitted, as we'll soon see.
Is Quattro Worth Having?
The price differential between quattro all-wheel drive and rear-drive models is significant but not excessive. If you’re considering it on a new Audi purchase, don’t forget that you’ll likely benefit from a higher residual value when you choose to sell the car on – used quattro models are in demand too, with prices remaining strong for older models.
Whether you really need quattro or not is bound to depend on the type of weather and the road conditions you’re often faced with. The main benefit is the help it gives when driving on slippery roads and surfaces, offering better grip and traction during wet weather conditions, and also when accelerating and cornering. Quattro can also be useful all-year-round on normal roads to help provide enhanced performance and safety. The place it makes most sense though is offroad, where the extra traction can prove invaluable. Many Audi owners choose quattro if they live in the countryside where roads are often muddy, or for commuting in remote or higher altitude areas where snow and icy conditions are the norm.
In addition, quattro can also come in handy when towing as you're less likely to lose traction, making quattro a worthwhile upgrade if you regularly hitch a caravan.
It’s also worth remembering that tyre condition and specification can be other factors to consider when it comes to grip and traction. For example, choosing to invest in a set of winter tyres to tackle snowy and icy conditions could be a viable alternative to quattro.
Any Disadvantages?
There's the added running costs, for one thing. For example, an Audi TDI without quattro four-wheel drive can return up to 55.4mpg, but that figure drops to 47.9mpg when fitted. And that figure's only going to mount up if you have a high annual mileage.
Then there's the added mechanical complexity to consider. As opposed to a regular two-wheel drive model, an Audi with quattro fitted is going to have extra drive shafts, extra clutches and so forth. In other words, that means there's a lot more that can go wrong in terms of repairs and breakdowns.
For these reasons, it's always worth asking: do you really need quattro? Before opting for it, consider whether the extra cost and marginal fuel consumption increase due to the extra weight is worth it for the advanced handling benefits.
Can You Turn Off Quattro?
It varies by vehicle. Models like the Audi A4 and the A6 have full-time quattro four-wheel drive, whereas models like the A3 and the Q3 only engage four-wheel drive when they actually need the extra grip.
To take another example, the part-time four-wheel drive system in the Q3 engages automatically, so even though it doesn't always engage, you can't manually turn it off.
Model Range
With quattro technology available across a range of Audi models, you won't have much need to compromise on choice, though you are most likely to find the quattro badge fitted to Audi’s high-performance RS models like the RS3, the TT RS and the mid-engine R8 super car.
Even the brand’s electric models now come equipped with the quattro system. Two noteworthy examples are the e-tron GT saloon and the Q4 e-tron SUV.
We should also mention quattro SUVs and off-roaders. Most Audi SUVs (including the Q5, the Q7 and the Q8) are already great for off-roading and muddy trails as it is, but the quattro system helps by throwing even more all-terrain ability into the mix.
What About Smaller Audis?
In more compact models like the A3 and the TT, Audi have implemented a slightly different quattro system which they call the Haldex unit. What Haldex does is send most of the power to the front wheels in normal driving conditions, but if it detects a wheel slipping then a secondary clutch will kick in and divert up to 100% of the torque to the rear axle.
A word of warning: some die-hard quattro fans might feel like this system isn't a 'real' quattro, so just beware about getting some stick!
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the term ‘quattro’ does just mean four in Italian, but with the rich history behind it, the touring, the rallying, and the 1980 Algarve Rally, it really means so much more.
Indeed, the quattro system helped transform everyday driving and is still evolving to this day, constantly improving our driving experience in some of the trickiest weather conditions. The system revolutionized both Audi road and racing cars, becoming arguably the most well-known all-wheel drive system in the industry. For that reason, all four-wheel drive performance cars, from hot hatchbacks to electric hypercars, owe it some form of gratitude.
Whether quattro is worth getting though, is entirely up to you.