But car owner complaints quickly piled up. Meanwhile, Ford introduced dual-clutch gearboxes in the 2011 Ford Fiesta, followed by the Focus. Source: Sales and projections from IHS Automotive Though growing, use of dual-clutch transmissions in the U.S.
In the U.S., FCA is betting on eight- and nine-speed automatic transmissions, said Jeff Lux, FCA's North American vice president of transmission powertrains.Ĭonventional transmissions "continue to evolve in efficiency," Lux said, "so there isn't much eagerness to make trade-offs between driveability and better fuel economy." Performance brands such as Ferrari and Alfa Romeo will continue to use dual-clutch gearboxes, Lux said, but there isn't much appetite for their use in mass-market models. And the company's powertrain strategy unveiled last May identified dual- clutch gearboxes as a promising technology in Asia - but not North America. That same year, the joint venture filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.Ĭurrently, just three FCA models - the Dodge Dart, Fiat 500L and the Alfa Romeo 4C - feature dual-clutch transmissions made by Fiat in Italy.
In 2008, Chrysler pulled out of its joint venture with Getrag after it rejected the supplier's financing terms for the plant's tooling.
In 2010, the plant began churning out dual-clutch transmissions for the Ford Focus and Fiesta.īut Chrysler and Ford both ran into trouble. One year later, Ford announced plans to build a $500 million transmission plant in Irapuato, Mexico, in a joint venture with Getrag. In 2007, Chrysler announced plans to build a $530 million plant in Indiana that would produce up to 700,000 Getrag AG transmissions a year. And in 2003, the Volkswagen Golf was the first mass-market model to feature a dual clutch transmission.Īfter Volkswagen rolled out the "direct shift gearbox" for its namesake brand and Audi, the technology appeared ready for the mass market.
Audi dual clutch transmission manual#
Supercar makers McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche all adopted dual- clutch gearboxes, whose rapid shifts rendered manual transmissions obsolete. And since the dual-clutch gearbox does not require a torque converter, it's more efficient than an automatic transmission. That allows quicker gear shifts than manual transmissions.
Audi dual clutch transmission driver#
With one clutch for odd-numbered gears and the other for even-numbered gears, the transmission can pre-select the next gear the driver is likely to shift into. One gearbox handles the first, third and fifth gears, while the other covers the second, fourth and sixth gears. "We are seeing major problems that will leave people stranded on the side of the road."ĭual-clutch transmissions are twin gearboxes linked by a pair of clutches. "In the past, transmissions were things you could count on, but that's no longer true," said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports' director of auto testing. Power have both reported a sharp uptick in complaints about faulty transmissions, as automakers seeking better fuel economy rolled out dual-clutch gearboxes, continuously variable transmissions and eight- and nine-speed transmissions. has dropped it from its long-term plans for North America.Ĭonsumer Reports and J.D. And Fiat Chrysler - which once planned to produce 700,000 dual- shift gearboxes a year in the U.S. suffered a spate of complaints after introducing dual- clutch transmissions in the Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta and Acura TLX. Automakers were counting on those gearboxes to improve fuel economy ratings 6 to 10 percent without compromising performance.Īfter Volkswagen introduced dual- clutch transmissions in 2003, several mass-market automakers followed suit, only to encounter quality bugs and consumer complaints. Not so long ago, dual-clutch transmissions - with their superior fuel economy and lightning-quick gear shifts - were widely viewed as the Next Big Thing.
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