Volkswagen reveals details of 10-speed DSG, new Passat twin-turbo diesel

Speaking at the annual Vienna motor symposium in Austria, Volkswagen R&D chief Hans-Jakob Neusser said the next-generation DSG was being developed to handle torque loads of up to 500Nm.

The 10-speed dual-clutch unit will replace the current six-speed DSG that is used in more powerful Volkswagen Group models, and has been described as a key pillar in the German car maker’s goal to improve the efficiency of future models by 15-20 per cent by 2020.

The new transmission will work with both transverse and longitudinal engine applications, suggesting it will be used across a broad range of vehicles, though no production timeline has been set for the gearbox at this stage.

Volkswagen also unveiled a new twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that will debut in the eighth-generation Passat large car later this year.

The twin-turbo diesel engine will produce 176kW in the Passat, which will go into production in sedan and wagon body styles in Zwickau, Germany, in the third quarter of this year.

No other details of the engine have been released at this stage, though it’s set to easily outperform the current model’s flagship diesel, the 130TDI 2.0-litre, which produces 130kW and 380Nm, claims 0-100km/h in 8.4 seconds, and consumes from 5.4 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

The all-new Volkswagen Passat will go on sale in Australia in 2015.