Kia 7 Speed Double Clutch Transmission – Video

 

As with Ford, VW, Chrysler, and a growing number of auto brands, Kia has developed a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as a replacement for its current six-speed automatic. The new transmission will start cropping up in global Kia models starting in 2015 with U.S. models receiving it after 2015, though Kia did not specify which models would be first to get it. Compared to the six-speed DCT currently used in the EU-market cee’d models, the new transmission is expected to deliver a fuel-economy improvement of seven percent and a five-percent improvement in 0–62 mph acceleration times. Like most new DCTs, the new transmission features dual dry clutches and two input shafts, allowing for seamless torque delivery between shifts as well as gear-jumping to the optimal ratio, should the driver ask for it. If that was to apply to the current Forte sedan, with its 173-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, for example, that would raise its fuel economy from 24 mpg city/36 highway to about 26/39 while bringing its 7.4-second 0–60 run to about seven seconds flat. We could also see this transmission being a good match as an option for the sexy GT4 Stinger sports car, should that thing ever happen.