Volkswagen Celebrates 15 Years Of The Dual Clutch Gearbox CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News Volkswagen Celebrates 15 Years Of The Dual Clutch Gearbox

Volkswagen Celebrates 15 Years Of The Dual Clutch Gearbox

Dec. 08, 2018 11:40 AM ET by Jared Rosenholtz / 2 Comments Where would we be without it? Where would we be without the dual clutch transmission? Perhaps we would still be dealing with the clunky single clutch boxes found in the supercars of the early 2000s. Exactly 15 years ago, Volkswagen offered the first production dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) in the 2003 Golf R32. Interestingly, this revolutionary new transmission was only offered in Europe, while the US-spec R32 used an old-fashioned manual. Fast forward to today and VW Group has sold over 26 million vehicles equipped with a six-speed or seven-speed DSG, which is an impressive accomplishment. In the 15 years since VW first introduced the DSG, the automotive landscape has changed significantly in regards to the split between automatics and manuals. Volkswagen The US and Europe have always been very different on their transmission preference. At the beginning of the 21st century, 88% of drivers in the US opted for an automatic transmission. By contrast, only 14% of European drivers opted for an automatic, mainly in premium models. In 2018, only around 3% of new cars in the US are sold with a manual and they are even starting to die off in Europe. Back in the early 2000s, 90% of Golf models rolled off the assembly line with a manual. This all changed when VW introduced the DSG option, which was 20% more economical than a traditional automatic. 15 years later and over 40% of Golf models are sold with a DSG as are almost 30% of Polo models. Volkswagen Volkswagen The rest of VW's lineup boasts an even higher take rate for the DSG. 60% of Passat sedans are sold with a DSG, increasing to 70% for the estate. Over 80% of Arteon models are sold with a DSG and the Tiguan Allspace sits at around the 90% mark. VW continues to make improvements to its DSG, including a new coast feature which decouples the engine from the drivetrain to allow the car to coast and save fuel. Volkswagen Volkswagen

Join The Discussion

Show Comments (2)

Gallery

7 Photos Tags: #Volkswagen News #Engine #Special Editions

Related Cars

Volkswagen Golf GTI Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top