COMMENT: Latest Vito van revives FWD vs RWD debate

Front- or rear-wheel drive? It remains a controversy. The choice for passenger car designers can depend on road-holding and handling characteristics, as well as critical cost considerations. Superior refinement is often put forward as the rationale for Mercedes-Benz, BMW and, more recently, Lexus opting for a ‘traditional’ rear-wheel-drive (RWD) configuration. But few critics would argue that today’s front-wheel-drive (FWD) Audi A4, for instance, is less refined in any way than its Mercedes C-class and BMW 3 Series RWD rivals.

Quite different criteria come into play in the light commercial vehicle sector