Earlier this year we reported that Volvo would be getting double-clutch transmissions for some models by 2008. It now looks like Volvo will be getting the fast shifters a little earlier, with the transmissions making their way into vehicles from Ford, Mazda, and Land Rover sold in Europe by late next year. Dual-clutch gearboxes will first find their way into the facelifted S40 and V50 models, and move their way up as Volvo replaces or facelifts its lineup. Ford has said it will offer the new gearbox in a wide range of vehicles including the Focus, C-Max, and new Mondeo. The facelifted C-Max, which we reported on here, may get the new gearbox as early as next year. Ford is also looking at a dual-clutch ‘box for some of its smaller US models, reports Automotive News.
The gearbox will be built by Ford’s transmission partner Gertrag in Slovakia and the company is promising fuel savings of around 10% over automatic transmissions, which form the majority of vehicles sold. VW, which introduced the dual-clutch system to mass market cars, plans on replacing all automatics with DSG within 5 years.
