BMW claims that xDrive is one of the world’s fastest-acting and most efficient all-wheel drive systems and it is now present as standard or as an optional extra across most of its model range.
While earlier systems used to employ a permanent torque split, the modern-day xDrive boasts variable torque split between the two axles, reacting within a tenth of a second to redistribute power whenever wheel slip is detected by the ABS/DSC system.
The first application of xDrive took place back in 2003 on the new X3 as well as on the refreshed 3-Series (E46), though even that iteration of xDrive was far superior to the brand’s 4WD systems of the 80s (3-Series & 5-Series) or early 2000s (X5 & 3-Series. Throughout the years, BMW has made xDrive available across their range, with V8-powered saloons getting it in 2010, in the 750i xDrive.