Best to enquire precisely how each individual system works.
Some salespeople will call an AWD vehicle a 4WD and vice versa.
It seems to me that most of the common 4WD capable vehicle have run as AWD unless you explicitly lock it to 4WD . In AWD the car will likely start out with a 50/50 front back split and if no slippage is detected then at a certain speed it will revert to FWD...though always being ready to direct power back to the rear wheels in a fraction of second. That's the simple form of AWD. Some more advanced systems target individual wheels I believe. That's my admittedly limited understanding of things.
I have a NIssan X-trail AWD. I only lock the 4WD when in my subdivision going through deep snow/slush, otherwise it's in AWD. Note: that even if I lock it in 4WD it reverts to AWD if it isn't necessary above a certain speed. Other cars may do the same. The reason I believe is the problem pointed out by someone above.
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