Happy birthday to the car tech some people love to hate

Tuesday, 11 December 2018

Volkswagen Group's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) celebrates its 15th birthday this month.

The technology, which was derived from a Porsche racing transmission, married manual, automatic and racing technologies for the first time in a production car with the launch of the 2003 VW Golf R32.

The Audi TT 3.2 followed shortly afterwards.

Audi TT followed R32 with dual-clutch tech. Audi called it DSG to begin - then came up with its own S tronic name.

DSG was technically a manual transmission, because each gear drove the wheels directly (no torque converter like you have in a conventional automatic). But it functioned like an automatic, because the driver did not have to operate a clutch pedal.

'Automated manual' transmissions were not new in 2003. But VW's version of the technology was, because it had not one but two automated clutches, each looking after a set of gears (odds and evens if you like). So as one clutch opened, the other could close, allowing very fast and smooth gearchanges.

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VW's Golf R32 of 2003 was the first production car to have DSG (albeit as an option).

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DSG is considered groundbreaking because it has brought those two worlds of manual and automatic gearboxes together - thus opening marketing opportunities for VW Group. Many other makers have followed with their own versions of the technology.

At the turn of the century, 88 per cent of all motorists in the US opted for automatic transmission. Western Europe, which is dominated by small vehicles, presented a completely different picture at that time: only 14 per cent of cars – predominantly premium models – had automatic transmission. This was not only due to the higher price of automatic transmission: a manual was also usually more economical and sporty.

More than 90 per cent of VW Golfs came off the production line with manual transmission in 2000.

VW says DSG has its torque limits. But the Bugatti Chiron has 1600Nm...

The 2003 R32 showed what was possible with DSG (which was an option). With a 177kW engine, it was 20 per cent more economical than an equivalent automatic and could shift gears faster than a skilled driver with a manual.

In 2018, the DSG installation rate for the Golf is over 40 per cent globally.

For the Tiguan Allspace SUV, the DSG installation rate is around 90 per cent.

In New Zealand, VW only offers a manual gearbox on price-leading versions of the Polo and Golf. Almost everything else is DSG, except for the Touareg SUV and Amarok ute - which have always been fitted with conventional automatics.

DSG also dominates the Group's other brands in NZ: Audi (where it is known as S tronic), Skoda and Seat.

Depending on the model, engine and type of drive, today VW offers various 6-speed and 7-speed DSGs. They are currently designed for torque outputs up to 250Nm, 400Nm, 420Nm and 550Nm.

More is possible, of course: Bugatti's Veyron and latest Chiron super-sports cars (also produced by VW Group) have always had DSG. The Chiron makes 1103kW and 1600Nm.

In addition, there is a 6-speed hybrid DSG (up to 400 Nm) as a module with integrated electric motor for plug-in hybrid models such as the Golf GTE. A coasting function, where the DSG decouples the engine from the drive train in order to use the kinetic energy of the vehicle and thus further reduce fuel consumption, is becoming increasingly standard.

To date, more than 26 million drivers of VW Group models have opted for the DSG transmission principle. It hasn't been a non-stop 15-year love affair, though. The 'slip' of the automated clutches in some urban driving conditions can be an issue, especially at low speed and/or on hills.

DSG is also relatively complex and costly, with a residual reputation for unreliability that probably dates back a decade, when there were a variety of issues: in 2009 there were a number of highly publicised problems worldwide around temperature control and gear selection, especially in the United States and Australia (where recalls took place).

There have also been ongoing issues in China since 2009, and in 2012 the maker admitted its Chinese-market seven-speed DSG models had potential faults. It stopped short of a full recall, but issued a software upgrade.

VW Group has continued to develop DSG constantly since 2003, and says that in its current state, the shift characteristics and protocols of the technology are ideally suited to electrified vehicles, meaning it will remain a core piece of technology for the Group's brands for many years to come.