No matter the manufacturer, there is almost always an all-wheel drive (AWD) option for most platforms. Most of these systems are designed to be transparent to the driver.
Many AWD systems came onto the market in the 1990s. Unlike 4x4 truck systems of the day, these systems were always engaged and could not be disengaged by the driver. Many of the early systems used mechanical ways to manage the distribution of power to the four wheels. Most of these systems used viscous differentials and limited slip differentials with special fluids inside. These components were prone to failure and are expensive to manufacture. Also, the performance of these systems could be challenging to control with sensors and actuators. Moreover, these AWD systems could cripple fuel efficiency.