WOLFSBURG: At a time when many drivers are opting for refined automatic gearboxes, Volkswagen has come up with a surprise new take on the trusty stick shift, which is claimed to save up to 5 grams of C02 per kilometre.
The new VW Passat will be the first vehicle to be equipped with the MQ281 manual gearbox, followed by almost all vehicle classes of the Volkswagen Group, the company has announced.
Manual gearshifts have been the norm in many countries for decades and still account for a huge number of sales worldwide.
Sales of automatics have meanwhile mushroomed in recent years, especially with city drivers tired of having to operate the clutch and keep changing gears in heavy traffic.
Automatics are the norm in North America and also the choice for many hybrids and pure-electric cars in other countries. Some experts claim the manual could be extinct within a decade.
VW said the manual gearbox has been very much in the shade until now, even though only slight changes are needed in order to improve efficiency and fuel consumption. These can have a huge effect on emissions and the environment.
"With the MQ281, we have developed a highly efficient manual gearbox," said Helmut Goebbels, head of manual gearbox and four-wheel drive development at Volkswagen.
For the technically minded, the MQ281 can handle torque loads between 200Nm and 340Nm, which makes it better than the current Volkswagen gearbox designs.
A high gear spread guarantees good acceleration from the kerb, even for heavy vehicles with large wheels like SUVs. It also enables "down-speeding," which is driving along in high gears with low engine speed, thereby saving fuel.
VW said reducing friction and boosting lubrication inside the gearbox were key elements in making the unit more efficient, and this reduces the amount of lifetime oil required to just 1.5 litres.
The MQ281 is produced by Volkswagen in-house and will also be turned out by VW factories in in Barcelona and Cordoba in Argentina.
