According to the information exposed by Xingtu VX, Chery abandoned the Getrag gearbox and extended an olive branch to SAIC.
From the perspective of technical standards, the biggest highlight of Xingtu VX is that it will be equipped with a new 2.0T engine. At the same time, the 1.6T engine that has been on the market for some time will also arrive as scheduled.
The difference is that in the gearbox matching, there is no trace of the Getrag gearbox. What appears this time is the new DCT dual-clutch gearbox developed by SAIC.
About this gearbox, official news has just been released a few days ago.
Tao Hailong, general manager of Shanghai Automotive Transmission, said: "Our two companies (Chery) have the same goal, to make a good product and give users a better experience. In the future, in addition to hardware, we will also work on software. Partially continue to cooperate.”
This gearbox just rolled off the production line at SAIC's Liuzhou factory a week ago. The first one to be installed is not the Shanghai model, but Chery's upcoming Xingtu VX.
Obviously, this is the first time that a high-torque automatic transmission has been applied across enterprises.
Transmissions have always been Chery's shortcomings. When mainstream independent brands have overcome the problem of transmissions, Chery needs to catch up.
In fact, Chery also has its own gearbox industry chain. The relationship between Wanliyang and Chery is unclear to the outside world, and it is not difficult to explain it in one sentence.
Five years ago, Wanliyang acquired Chery Transmission Co., Ltd. Before that, Wanliyang acquired Geely's manual transmission business. Obviously, Wanliyang and Chery are involved in mutual transactions and shareholdings.
Wanliyang has part of the CVT business, which provides Chery with the CVT gearboxes needed for low-end cars.
Why Wanliyang does not appear on the list of new power engines? It is obviously very simple. Wanliyang does not have the ability to match a larger torque engine. This is the key to Chery's frequent search for foreign aid for slightly larger torque engines. .
In the past, the 1.5T gearbox was adapted to the BorgWarner gearbox. The subsequent 1.6T gearbox is also matched to the BorgWarner gearbox. The Xingtu VX uses SAIC’s new? gearbox. In fact, it is also a helpless move.
Firstly, BorgWarner is a foreign-owned unit and has little controllability. Secondly, the cost is not low. For Chery, which wants to constantly control prices, it is only a matter of time before it is choked.
It is an indisputable fact that Chery currently lacks a gearbox that can adapt to the current power system. The lack of any link in R&D, design, and production will lead to Chery's choice of gearbox.
At present, independent brands such as Geely, Great Wall, and BYD have completed the technical reserves of gearboxes and can ensure the self-sufficiency of gearboxes in mainstream models.
The installed capacity of Great Wall's self-produced 7DCT gearbox exceeds one million. This gearbox was designed by a foreign designer. After Great Wall applied for a patent, it has a complete set of R&D and production lines without being controlled by others.
Geely's new dual-clutch gearbox can also ensure strong performance on main models.
The designers of these gearboxes are all foreign engineers, but in fact, global companies hire external design units for R&D. It is understandable that foreign engineers and domestic units hit it off to create new technologies.
Chery’s early engines were also solved with the help of AVL engineers. Hiring foreign engineers was only a part of the gearbox project.
At present, engines have entered the era of small displacement and high torque. For example, Chery’s 1.6T engine can easily reach 290 Nm of torque. The problem is that Chery’s current adaptation system cannot produce anything that can support A small-sized dual-clutch gearbox with such high torque.
An inappropriate gearbox means that it is difficult for the engine to exert its maximum energy. The fastest shortcut is to rely on a mature and effective gearbox from others.
The DCT gearbox produced by SAIC can withstand high torque. From the current point of view, it will be adapted to Xingtu VX in the initial stage. If the effect is good, it will be adapted to more self-branded models in the future.
If this happens, SAIC will act as Mitsubishi in the engine field. Those who do not have gearboxes can purchase them from SAIC. As SAIC said, “Our two companies (Chery) have the same goals and do a good job in product", both parties have their own ideas.
Chery wants to solve the gearbox problem through SAIC, while SAIC wants to open up the market through Xingtu VX and pave the way for its own DCT gearbox.
Indeed, in the past, Chery was the technology leader in the industry in terms of engines and platform architecture, but today in 2020, independent brands continue to strengthen their engine, platform architecture, intelligent technology reserves and even gearbox technology reserves. Under such circumstances, when will the high-torque gearbox independently developed, designed and produced by Chery be launched?
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.