The Youtube channel of BMW Deutschland published a video of several BMW vehicles equipped with the xDrive arrangement during some winter driving exercises. At the upshot, BMW also invited biathlon Olympic aureate medalist Ole Einar Bjorndalen and BMW biathlon ambassador Sven Fischer, to test drive the BMW X5 on a snow-covered grade.

Other vehicles tested during the event were the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid, the 550i xDrive and the new F25 X3.

Before jumping into the video which unfortunately is available in German merely, permit's look at the history of the xDrive organisation.

xDrive was introduced in 2003 with the first generation X3. Instead of a permanent torque split (which the earlier systems exhibit), xDrive provides torque split between the front and rear axles through the use of a multi-plate wet clutch located in the gearbox on the output to the front drive shaft. This setup allows xDrive to modulate the torque split between the front and the rear. If wheel skid was detected by the ABS/DSC organization, xDrive volition react quickly to accommodate torque bias. The wet clutch is practical through a loftier speed electric servo motor turning a cam shaped actuator disc.

BMW Snow and Ice Fahrertraining Winter 2011 071 655x446 xDrive is connected to the ABS and DSC systems. In the case that wheelspin or directional instability all the same occurs while xDrive is or has been modulating the torque split, DSC volition brake contained wheels to regain traction and improve directional stability without driver intervention.
The front and rear differentials in xDrive vehicles are an open differential design, thus relying on restriction application past the DSC organization to transfer power from the slipping wheel to the wheel with traction.

At the moment, the xDrive system is bachelor on the X1, X3, X5, X6 and on the newer 3, 5 and 7 Series vehicles. Rumors say that six Series with xDrive might appear in the futurity.