That's like saying a McPherson Strut is not an independent front suspension design because it's not a double-wishbone design.
Okay, so it's an "axle lock" and not a "diff lock". But the end result for the user is the same, no? (Seriously, I'm asking, I'm open to the idea that I have no friggin' clue what I'm talking about). Each axle is able to be locked to the other and power sent to either without the use of the other wheel's brakes.
I get where you're coming from, the two work differently and the VAQ isn't even housed in the diff cage. But an external combustion chambered engine still has a combustion chamber, you know what I mean?
I'm really not trying to be an argumentative ass and I'm open to the idea that I may be completely misunderstanding how exactly the VAQ works, but after all the reading I've done on it, I've come away with the understanding that it behaves just as a mechanical diff lock would, albeit with some computer-controlled behavior.
EDIT: I found this thread very infomative over on Piston Heads a while back when I was trying to understand how this thong worked:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/...&i=40&nmt=RE: VW's VAQ 'diff' explained&mid=0
This post in particular seems to sum it up well:
"The "Cleverness" of this new system is that it allows VW to use one single mains gearbox for ALL of their models (which reduces costs and parts count / build differences) and then just bolt on the appropriate system. (be that a blanking plate for no LSD, a Bevel gearbox for the 4wd cars, or this new "LSD" for the hot front drivers).
"The fact that the clutches are "external" to the diff cage is really irrelevant in terms of operation, they still act to control the differential speed (slip) between the halfshafts and the Crownwheel/diffcage, just like a conventional LSD does.
"The benefits of this "external" packaging come at build time and to reduce production costs by lowering parts count differences between models, and this makes for a high volume for any given part and hence a lower piece cost!"