Audi kills the CVT
German luxury brand is about to take an axe to its controversial continuously variable automatic transmissionAudi has ceased development of the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which will be replaced across the board by a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Senior Audi driving behaviour engineer Ralph Riegger confirmed that the unloved transmission type, which sees engine revs rise while the transmission ratios constantly adjust to catch up, would not make it into the next generations of Audi models.
“It isn’t being developed anymore. It served its purpose because it was very good for fuel economy, but now we have this new stepped transmission that is better.”
The continuously variable transmission, or 'multitronic; in Audi-speak, is found in the A4, A5 and A6 in Australia, and also the front-drive version of the A7, which isn’t sold here.
The replacement transmission is expected to be an evolution of the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (or DSG) already on offer in a variety of Volkswagen group products. It will likely see the light of day with the arrival of the new ‘B9’ series A4, expected later next year (2015).
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