According to a report by Detroit Free Press, Ford knew about the problems its dual-clutch transmission had before the cars equipped with it went on sale. The transmission was first used in the 2011 Fiesta followed by the 2012 Focus. The report found at least 4,377 complaints to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for transmissions of the 2011-16 Fiesta and 2012-16 Focus.

The report suggests that many of the cars suddenly lost power on freeways, or sometimes even drove into intersections on their own, resulting in accidents. The cars were repaired multiple times, but the problem still remained. Ford had instructed dealers to tell customers that the cars operated normally. The company also ran out of parts for the fix - it is said that 1.5 million defective cars still remain on the road.

Over the years, Ford tried fixing the problem and spent hundreds of millions of dollars and now faces legal cases that could pose a serious financial risk to the company. The carmaker tried tweaking the transmission, adjusting the calibration, clutch materials and fixing a seal leak. Prior to the transmission being used, engineers reported judders and vibrations. They also said that a driveable calibration could not be achieved and that the clutch torque delivery must be improved. It is also said that quality was compromised to save costs.

In 2008, Ford's lawyers had warned engineers about safety issues after issues cropped up in Volkswagen's dual-clutch transmission. Ford used the transmission in low-priced, high-volume vehicles. It is said that the transmission’s tendency to slip out of gear combined with other conditions would result in a “Severity 10” rating. This is the worst possible rating under global engineering protocols. There was no mechanism to warn the customers before a failure. It is said that during the development of the car, 23 red alerts related to calibration were issued and 115 software changes were needed, but the issues only increased as the launch date neared.

Ford had barely scraped through the recession and sales had also fallen. To make matters worse, fuel prices increased and fuel economy standards were tightened. In a bid to get high volume cars on sale, the Fiesta and Focus were put in the market with the defective transmissions. The dual-clutch transmission also helped Ford claim an efficiency of nearly 40 mpg on the highway.

Customers reported problems within months of the Fiesta going on sale, but it became worse with the Focus as it was heavier and demanded more from the transmission. Design and release engineers, calibration development engineers, manufacturing engineers, customer service engineers and transmission engineers knew that the transmissions were bad, but kept it quiet. The upper management was not informed of the unfolding crisis at the start.

According to a media report, the Pune RTO is forcing applicants who are trained on automatic transmission cars to take their driving tests on a car equipped with a manual transmission. As a result, the number of applicants failing the tests has increased.

In the past few months, there has been an increase in the number of applicants failing the driving tests conducted at Institute Of Driving Training And Research (IDTR), Bhosari.

According to the Maharashtra state transport commissioner, the testing tracks in the state do not have a provision in the 4-wheeler permanent license test, where applicants can be given the option of a dual-control, automatic test car.

Source: Hindustan Times

Thanks to BHPian r_devakumar for sharing this information with other enthusiasts.

If recent rumours are to be believed, then the next generation Mahindra Thar could be offered with an optional automatic transmission. It is expected to be launched around April 2020.

The new Thar will reportedly be based on the same chassis as the Scorpio. Spy images suggest that the SUV could be wider than the current model. It is likely to get a 7-slat grille with circular headlamps and chunky front and rear bumpers. Inside, the new model is expected to get a redesigned dashboard with provision for a touchscreen infotainment system. It is also likely to get redesigned seats with additional side bolstering.

The next generation Thar could be powered by a BS-VI compliant 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine. While a manual transmission is expected to be standard, all-wheel drive and a low range gearbox are also likely to be offered as part of the optional kit.

A spy image of the Tata Harrier automatic has surfaced online. The image shows the gear lever for the automatic transmission and the rotary drive mode selector. 

It has been reported that the Tata Harrier is likely to get a 6-speed automatic transmission. This Hyundai-sourced gearbox is the same unit available on the Tucson. The automatic variant is expected to get three driving modes - Eco, City and Sport along with three terrain response modes - Normal, Wet and Rough. However, it is unlikely to get all-wheel drive.

The Tata Harrier was launched in January 2019 with single engine and gearbox option. It is powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that produces 138 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 350 Nm of torque @ 1,750-2,500 rpm and comes mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The automatic variant is likely to get the same engine. 

Source: Gaadiwaadi

Thanks to Shashwat Tandan for sending these images in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Spy images of the Ford Aspire facelift have already leaked online. Now, some additional details of the automatic variant have come in.

According to the information received, the automatic variant will not be available on the top end variant equipped with the Sync 3 infotainment system. Instead, it will come only in the Titanium trim equipped with 2 airbags and a larger touchscreen unit. The car also gets a greyish colour front grille and two (up/down) shift buttons on the gear lever. The car in the pictures had 15-inch wheels shod with fatter 195/55 profile Apollo tyres.

Ford is likely to offer the new Aspire with a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder Dragon Series petrol engine with a 5-speed manual gearbox, while a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol unit could be offered with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. A 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine will be available with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

According to a media report, the petrol variant of the Renault Captur could be offered with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) sometime next year. It will be the same transmission that is currently available on the Duster.

The Renault Captur was launched in November 2017. It is positioned above the Duster but shares the same platform. It gets features like full-LED headlights with LED DRLs, dual-tone alloy wheels, automatic climate control and a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with voice recognition and navigation. Safety features like dual airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist are standard across all variants.

The Captur is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 105 BHP @ 5,600 rpm and 142 Nm of torque @ 4,000 rpm and comes paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. The diesel variant comes equipped with a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder unit that puts out 108 BHP @ 3,850 rpm and 240 Nm of torque @ 1,750 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Source: NDTV

According to a media report, the upcoming Tata Harrier might use Hyundai's 6-speed automatic transmission that is currently available on the Tucson. It is likely to be offered with the Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre diesel engine. 

Earlier, it was believed that the SUV might get a Fiat-sourced 9-speed automatic gearbox. However, it is reported that Hyundai's 6-speed automatic is well suited for FCA's power unit and is cheaper than the 9-speed unit.

The 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine puts out 140 BHP and is likely to be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission as well. The rumoured 7-seat version of the Harrier is expected to use the same 2.0-litre diesel engine but with a higher state of tune. Both models will get an all-wheel-drive system that was developed in-house at Tata Motors.

The Tata Harrier is expected to be launched in the first half of 2019.

Source: Autocar India

According to a media report, Ford is likely to introduce an automatic variant to the Freestyle line up. The Ford Freestyle was launched in India in April 2018. The car is offered in petrol and diesel variants paired with a 5-speed manual transmission.

Ford has said that automatics accounted for 20% of the total vehicles sold by the company. In cities like Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi, 40% of all customers preferred automatics over the manual transmission.

The Freestyle is a Compact Utility Vehicle based on the Figo. It gets rugged exterior styling and is powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine which puts out 95 BHP @ 6,500 rpm and 120 Nm of torque @ 4,250 rpm, and a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel unit makes 99 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and a peak torque of 215 Nm @ 1,750-3,000 rpm. Both engines are currently offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Ford is yet to confirm the automatic transmission for the Freestyle.

Source: Economic Times

The Toyota Yaris was launched on May 18, 2018. It has been reported that out of the total number of bookings, 66% people have opted for automatic variants.

The Yaris is offered in 4 variants with a 7-speed CVT gearbox being offered on all trim levels. That said, the Yaris does not get a diesel engine option and instead comes equipped with a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 106 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 140 Nm of torque @ 4,200 rpm. Besides the automatic, the Yaris also comes with a 6-speed manual transmission.

In terms of pricing, the base automatic variant costs Rs. 9.95 lakh, while the top-spec VX CVT costs Rs. 14.07 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Its main rivals include the Maruti Ciaz, which gets an optional 4-speed automatic transmission paired with a 1.4-litre petrol engine, the Honda City, which comes with a CVT mated to a 1.5-litre diesel engine and the Hyundai Verna that is offered with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Source: NDTV

The Jeep Compass has been launched in India at prices starting from Rs. 14.95 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The engines on offer with the car include a 1.4-litre petrol that produces 160 BHP & 250 Nm of torque and a 2.0-litre diesel that develops 171 BHP & 350 Nm of torque. While, a 6-speed manual gearbox is available as standard with both engines, a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic is only available in the petrol variant.

According to media reports, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is expected to launch the Jeep Compass diesel with an automatic transmission around January 2018. Unlike the petrol version, the diesel is likely to get a 9-speed automatic gearbox.

Having adopted a top-down strategy for the Indian market, FCA kicked things off by introducing two low-volume products. Now, with the introduction of the Jeep Compass, FCA is targeting the premium compact SUV segment of the market. 

FCA claims that it has received 5,000 bookings for the Compass with most of the customers opting for the top variant. Deliveries are scheduled to commence on August 6, 2017. Only diesel models will be delivered initially, while the first petrol cars expected to be delivered by Diwali. 

Source: Autocar