DSG to replace slushboxes on all VW Group cars
Newswheel staff :: 14 June 2006 :: Filed under Audi, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen, Europe & UK
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Volkwagen’s five-year plan
Of all the robot-controlled manual gearboxes, VW’s DSG dual-clutch box is by far the finest. Thanks to a pair of clutches (one clutch for odd-numbered gears and one for even gears) DSG offers the kind of smooth and seamless gear changes that other paddle-flipping boxes can only dream of. And now Wolfgang Bernhard, VW’s product bigwig, has announced that the DSG box will replace conventional torque-converter automatic gearboxes on all VW group cars with transverse engine installations within five years…
So, that’s every transverse-engined car from Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen. Of course, a dual-clutch DSG box is more complex, costlier and almost certainly heavier than the alternatives – boggo slushboxes, CVT autos or single-clutch robot boxes. But according to the TheCarConnection, Bernhard reckons the much more polished performance of the DSG dual-clutch box is well worth it. VW is also working on a DSG box for longitudinal engine installations, such as the Audi A4, A6 and A8 saloons, but hasn’t committed to a roll-out date.
It’s not clear how firm a grip VW has over the intellectual property surrounding dual-clutch gearboxes. However, one thing is for sure. VW will not be licensing DSG out to competitors. Bernhard hopes to make DSG a key differentiating factor for VW group vehicles. Time will tell whether other car makers can rustle up both the technical nous and legal latitude to produce their own dual-clutch boxes.
Linkage:
TheCarConnection
Via LeftLane News
Posted 16 January 2007, by John.L
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