Volkswagen DSG – 6 Speed Dual Clutch Gearbox

6 Speed DSG Gearbox

Maximum torque: 350 Nm

Clutch: Wet

Transmission oil volume: 6.5 litres

Weight: 93 kg

Orientation: Transverse

DSG – the dual-clutch gearbox from Volkswagen

The innovative DSG dual-clutch gearbox from Volkswagen offers previously unattained shifting comfort that lifts what were once well-defined boundaries between automatic and manual transmissions. This is a 6-speed gearbox that combines the sporty character and low fuel consumption of a manual gearbox with the comfort and convenience of an automatic. Another highlight: gear changes are executed without any interruption of the driving power.

The DSG gearbox features two driving programs: normal mode and sport mode. In sport mode, the DSG shifts up and down later. Gearshifts can also take place in sequence manually using Tiptronic. They can be performed in particularly sporty style via Tiptronic switches on the multifunction steering wheel (available on selected models).

The dual-clutch gearbox essentially consists of two independent gearbox units. With dual-clutch technology – two wet clutches in a common housing – both gearboxes are connected under load to the engine alternately depending on the current gear via two drive shafts. Clutch 1 serves the first gearbox unit with 1st, 3rd, 5th and reverse gear and clutch 2 the second gearbox unit with 2nd, 4th and 6th gear.
Each gearbox unit is assigned an output shaft that applies the torque to the driven wheels via the differential gear.

Thanks to the dual-clutch design the DSG is remarkably more efficient than the conventional automatic transmission that uses a hydraulic torque converter. This and its low weight, together with the intelligent transmission control, are vital prerequisites if vehicles with the dual-clutch gearbox are to achieve the same or even lower fuel consumption, depending on the style of driving, than a manual gearbox.

The principle of overlapping gear changes in the DSG is as follows: when one gear is engaged, another gear is always preselected. If a gear change is approaching, one clutch opens within three to four hundredths of a second while the other closes. The mechatronics unit ensures that this takes place fast and accurately on a level that would not be possible manually. In this way, the change of gear is imperceptible to the driver and is achieved without any interruption of the driving power.

The decision as to which gear should be engaged next is taken by the control unit based on the position/operation of the accelerator, engine speed and vehicle speed. If the accelerator pedal is pressed and the vehicle accelerated, the next-highest gear will be preselected before the shift point is reached. If the accelerator is not operated, however, i.e. the vehicle is in overrun, the next-lowest gear will be preselected.

The advantages in detail:

• The Volkswagen DSG permits smooth gear-changing along with the additional comfort of an automatic gearbox.
• The virtually loss-free dual clutch even cuts the fuel consumption of some models featuring DSG to below that of manual models depending on the style of driving.
• The Tiptronic with manual, sequential gear selection offers sporty driving enjoyment due to direct gear-shifting.