As it bids for further reductions of both CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, Volvo has announced that its S60, V60, V70 and S80 models with 1.6litre diesel engines will be available with the six-speed 6DCT450 powershift transmission.
With the inclusion of start-stop technology, the Volvo S60 diesel achieves CO2 emissions of just 114g/km; with fuel economy figures of 55mpg.
The dual-clutch transmission is one of the key reasons why the economy gains have been achieved. It incorporates wet clutches and requires no further hardware such as a pressure accumulator and electrically driven pump. It works without torque interruption and when compared to conventional automatic transmissions, it offers a five-10 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and, depending on the application, can even reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 15 per cent.
The beauty of the GETRAG powershift transmissions is that they can be linked to start/stop functions; and even combined with an electric motor for hybrid drive.
Thanks to shortened response times there is greater driving pleasure and motorists can enjoy a more direct driving experience.
