Upshift! Volkswagen Introduces New 7-Spd DSG

Volkswagen Auto Group's DSG "dual clutch" gearbox was a revelation when itwas introduced back in 2003 on the Audi TT 3.2 V6. The late '90s and early '00s showed great innovation in terms of clutchless and sequential manuals. BMW, Ferrari and Maserati touted their paddleshift systems, inspired by Formula One and touring cars, but when VW's DSG arrived on the scene, no one could match its performance nor its smoothness. With even and odd gears being controlled by two different clutches, the DSG system could perform upshifts in as little as 8 ms, which, in its day, was ten times faster than the BMW SMG II on the six-cylinder M3 and the Cambiocorsa unit on Maserati's 4200 GT. What's remarkable is that the DSG system migrated throughout the VAG kingdom, and has been featured on everything from the Audi A4 to Volkswagen's New Beetle TDI.

Four years on and VAG is still the only purveyor of dual clutch gearbox, though it's rumored that Porsche and Chrysler have their own systems on the way. But VAG, in particular Volkswagen, isn't waiting until someone steps up tobat before introducing the next generation of DSG, codenamed DQ200. This time around, Volkswagen doesn't necessarily have its sights set on performance, but in reducing production costs and improving overall efficiency. The key difference in new DSG is that it features dry clutches which don't need to be submerged in oil, saving enormous amounts of space and significant weight. Despite the use of “dry” clutches, the gearbox still uses oil to lubricate the gears and the actuators like any other conventional transmission, although in needs a lot less of it - 1.8 quarts instead of 7.4.

Without the large reserves of oil, Volkswagen was able to reduce the size of the gearbox on the outside to 14.5 inches, an impressive reduction that allows it to be mounted transversely in some of VW's smaller cars. Also, without the oil bath, VW had enough space inside the gearbox to fit in an extra gear, bringing the sum total up to seven forward speeds.Volkswagen was able to shorten the first gear ratio to improve off-the-line acceleration, while making the final gear longer for improved fuel consumption when cruising. In its current state, the new DSG gearbox can take up to 167 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, which isn't as much as the current unit, but no doubt it will be upgraded in the near future.

The new DSG gearbox is slated for use throughout the European VW product range on everything from subcompacts like the Polo, to its midsize Passat. The new gearbox should begin production by the end of the year, and will first be mated to Volkswagen's new 1.4-liter TSI turbocharged, direct-injection inline-four. It's unlikely that we'll see this new gearbox in North America any time soon unless VW bumps up its ability to deal with power or brings in a new smaller engine for the Rabbit, Jetta and New Beetle. Also, a subcompact is expected sometime in the near future, at which point it may become available here.