Ford Motor Company will introduce an advanced dual-clutch six-speed automated manual transmission, called PowerShift, in the 2010 calendar year. While Ford didn't specify model availability, you can bet it will appear in the 2011 Focus and Fiesta launching that year. Ford says it plans to have six-speed transmissions in "nearly 100 percent" of its vehicles by 2013; that means six-speed automatics for midsize and large models and the twin-clutch six-speed for smaller models. A PowerShift with a twin wet-clutch system already is available in the European Focus, but the American version coming in 2010 will be a dry-clutch derivative "for added efficiency and durability/"The dry-clutch system eliminates the need for an oil pump. Ford indicates that the new transmission can help reduce fuel consumption by nine percent versus the old four-speed automatic, depending on the engine.
展开▼
