Volkswagen medium van is first with DCT
Following on from its pioneering use of dual clutch transmissions across a broad range of passenger car segments as well as the sector for light, car-derived vans, Volkswagen has become the first company to offer DCT in the medium van market too.
Medium vans, which are generally built on unique platforms unrelated to those of passenger cars or larger trucks, are big sellers in Europe; the van designs also form the basis for derivatives such as pick-ups, chassis cabs, minibuses and camper vans.
In addition to revised styling reflecting current Volkswagen passenger-car design themes, the new-generation T5 Transporter range has a revised and simplified powertrain program which, in comparison with the outgoing model, cuts fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by an average of 10 percent.
European versions will offer a single two-liter gasoline engine and a choice of four different versions of the two-liter common-rail TDI diesel, ranging in power from 84 to 180 hp. The top-specification unit brings in a feature new to Volkswagen: two-stage turbocharging for higher boost pressures and greater control of boost across the rev range. Indeed, torque is 400 Nm from as low as 1500 rev/min. Lower-specification diesels run with a single variable-geometry turbocharger.
The biggest gains in efficiency come in conjunction with the optional seven-speed dual dry clutch transmission, designated as DSG - for direct shift gearbox - by Volkswagen. Replacing the previous Transporter generation's six-speed planetary automatic, it helps achieve a dramatic cut in CO2 emissions of 52 grams per kilometer; the range now boasts emissions of between 190 and 197 g/km, highly competitive values for heavy vehicles with a large frontal area and sub-optimal aerodynamics.
New too on the 2010 Transporter are driver-assist options such as lane-change assist, a reversing camera and tire pressure monitoring, and later in the year the 4Motion all-wheeldrive system will be added. This can also be combined with the seven-speed DSG gearbox, another van-sector first.
The new range goes on sale in early 2010 to replace an outgoing generation which has seen over a million units sold since its launch in 2003. Cumulative sales of Volkswagen's Transporter series are now over 10 million since the Beetle-based Type 2 was launched in 1950.
Story Filed: 9/24/2009
By Tony Lewin, managing editor DCTfacts.com