| Topic | Summary |
| Engine & transmission configurations |
Engine and transmission layout can be longitudinal or lateral, depending on the vehicle application. |
| Vehicle axles |
Vehicles can have different numbers or types of axles. |
| Location of driving axles |
Vehicles can have single or multiple driving axles, depending on the vehicle design or purpose. |
| Transmissions & final drives |
Engine torque is transmitted to the wheels through a different types of transmission and final drive. |
| 4-wheel drive transmission |
4-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles transmit torque to more than one set of driving wheels. |
| Chassis |
A chassis is an underlying supporting structure. A traditional chassis gives the vehicle structural strength, whereas modern vehicles integrate the bodywork into a single unit with the chassis so that the body becomes part of the structure of the vehicle rather than just an external skin. |
| Transmission components |
When changing gears in a manual transmission, a stick shift and selectors are utilized. On a read-wheel drive vehicle the stick shift is normally mounted directly into the transmission itself. In other vehicles, the stick shift can be attached to the steering column. |
| Chassis configurations | Vehicles can be described by the number of axles. Most light vehicles only have two axles. |