Not long ago, we went to the northernmost reaches of Italy, where we drove Maserati?s Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans up mountain roads in the snowy Alps and a Levante SUV (pictured above) on a specially created ice-driving course. The Italian automaker had set up the ice course at one of Italy?s major ski resorts and had built a display space in the chic downtown of another, all to show off the lineup of all-wheel-drive Maseratis. Let that phrase sink in for a minute: ?the lineup of all-wheel-drive Maseratis.? If even Maserati feels the need to offer all-wheel-drive versions of three different models, it begs the question: Are there any automobile brands left with product lineups that get by with just two driven wheels"
Not many. Ferrari has AWD (GTC4Lusso). So does Lamborghini (Aventador and Huracán). Alfa Romeo does, too (optional on the Giulia sedan and soon the Stelvio crossover). And Tesla (the dual-motor D variants) and Bugatti (Chiron). So does Bentley (Bentayga, Continental, and Flying Spur). And also Porsche (Cayenne, Macan, 911, and Panamera). By our reckoning, that leaves just Aston Martin, Lotus, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, and Smart, and a couple of those brands have crossover/SUV offerings in the works, which will further dwindle those ranks.
?
?For the near-luxury segment and up, AWD is becoming a must, and it?s no longer limited to the Snow Belt.?

? Jay Joseph, Acura product planning
?

Of course, the rise of SUVs and crossovers has both fueled and been ...