With the continuous upgrading of the global automobile industry and technology, manual transmissions will gradually withdraw from the stage of history in personal cars. Automatic transmissions have been assembled on many low-end products. In fact, this is a good thing. , after all, a car is just a means of transportation, especially low-end cars, so automatic transmissions are covered in lower-level models, making driving a friendlier and easier thing. But in the era of automatic transmission, what kind of gearbox to choose needs to be redefined, both for manufacturers and consumers. Maybe for manufacturers, more consideration must be given to cost, while for consumers, You need to consider fuel consumption, usage experience, etc.
In fact, so far, whether it is the market or consumers, there is still a relatively obvious chain of contempt for the use of automatic transmissions. Automatic transmission, also known as automated manual transmission or AT transmission, uses a hydraulic torque converter, so when shifting gears, the overall smoothness is relatively high, and it can withstand relatively high torque. The gear shifting efficiency is actually not low, so the overall user experience is better, and the more gears the automatic transmission has, the better the experience.
CVT gearboxes are generally connected by steel chain belts, so there is no problem in terms of ride comfort. However, general CVT gearboxes are relatively slow to start and transmit power, and many CVT gearboxes bear high torque. The capability is not strong, and the sudden large torque output makes the gearbox prone to slippage. The characteristic of dual-clutch gearboxes is high shifting efficiency. However, compared with AT gearboxes and CVT gearboxes, dual-clutch gearboxes generally have shifting delays, and the lower the level of the model, the dual-clutch gearbox equipped with box, the higher the chance of this happening. After all, the dual-clutch gearboxes equipped with many low-end models basically use dry dual-clutch, so the overall experience is not good.
So from the perspective of usage experience, the usage experience of automated manual transmission (AT) is better than that of CVT transmission, and the usage experience of CVT transmission is better than that of dual-clutch transmission. Basically, overall The most despised chain is AT gearbox>CVT gearbox>dual clutch gearbox. However, judging from the current situation, the assembly rate of AT gearboxes has continued to decline, especially for some mid- to low-end best-selling models. Compared with CVT and dual-clutch gearboxes, the assembly rate of AT gearboxes is higher. Obviously much lower.
Let’s take a look at the top ten domestic SUV sales models in April. They are Haval H6, Changan CS75 series, Honda CR-V, Geely Boyue, Toyota RAV4, Honda XR-V, Haval M6, Volkswagen Tiguan L, Nissan Qashqai, Mercedes-Benz GLC. As a luxury brand mid-size SUV, the Mercedes-Benz GLC, like most other Mercedes-Benz products, is equipped with a 9AT gearbox, which is understandable. However, among the remaining 9 models, especially the latest models, only the Geely Boyue and Changan CS75 PLUS are equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. Among the remaining 7 models, Haval H6, Haval M6, Volkswagen Tiguan L Equipped with a dual-clutch transmission, the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Honda XR-V, and Nissan Qashqai are equipped with a CVT transmission. Judging from the assembly rate of these nine cars, only two car series of self-owned brands are equipped with automatic transmissions, and Geely Boyue is only partially equipped. The transmission equipped on the 1.8T automatic model is a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Among the top 10 sedan products in terms of sales in April, only one model, the Buick Hideo, is equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. The remaining 9 models are Sylphy, Lavida, Corolla, Civic, and Bora. , Emgrand, Sagitar, Ralink and Accord are equipped with CVT and dual-clutch transmissions. In fact, we can already see a trend, that is, the assembly ratio of automatic transmissions in mid- to low-end models is already very low.
So there is a cost issue. Although everyone knows that the AT gearbox has small bumps, high smoothness, and can withstand greater torque, one of the disadvantages of the AT gearbox is its high cost. Moreover, the patented technologies of AT gearboxes are basically in the hands of third-party giants such as Aisin and ZF. For many manufacturers, the procurement cost of assembling these manufacturers' automatic gearboxes on mid- to low-end models is too high. On the other hand, it is easy to get stuck, especially for those models with particularly high sales. Many manufacturers would rather settle for the next best thing and assemble their own CVT gearboxes and dual-clutch gearboxes. First, it saves costs and increases single-car profits. Second, This is to prevent these suppliers from affecting model sales due to insufficient production capacity or other reasons.
As for why most domestic models like to be equipped with automatic transmissions from Aisin and ZF, the main reason is that domestic brands are relatively lagging behind in the research and development of automatic transmissions, and they also need these automatic transmissions. to enhance product reputation. Therefore, we have seen that many mid- to low-end models of Changan, Geely, and GAC Trumpchi are equipped with automatic transmissions. This is also a solution.
From a trend perspective, although the cost of automatic transmissions is also decreasing, and there are more and more gears, it basically integrates all the advantages of CVT and dual-clutch transmissions, with fast shifting and high smoothness. , low fuel consumption, but in comparison, the cost is still very high. As for CVT gearboxes and dual-clutch gearboxes, they have actually been making progress. For example, Toyota's Direct-Shift CVT gearbox, in addition to the steel belt, also adds a set of starting gears, which cut into the gears when starting to avoid The shortcomings of low speed and low efficiency of CVT transmission are achieved through direct gear intervention, which avoids the working environment of the unfavorable steel belt with high starting torque and brings higher work efficiency. This gearbox has been installed on Toyota Camry and Lexus ES.
Various brands have also added many new ideas in the adjustment and correction of dual-clutch gearboxes. For example, Volkswagen’s wet dual-clutch has better control over gear shifting; The dual-clutch gearbox equipped on the Hongqi H9 can also withstand a torque output of more than 400N·m. Therefore, although the entire contempt chain of automatic gearboxes has not yet fundamentally changed, various gearbox types are also making progress.
So in fact, in the future, no matter what the trend of high-end models is in terms of gearbox assembly, in the vast majority of mid- to low-end models, the living space of automatic gearboxes may become increasingly large. Small, of course, this is mainly due to cost constraints, especially in China. As the competition between joint venture brands becomes more and more fierce, cost control has become an issue that everyone has to consider. In addition, the shortcomings and shortcomings of CVT gearboxes and dual-clutch gearboxes It is also constantly being compensated. More mid- to low-end models may abandon AT gearboxes, and CVT and dual-clutch gearboxes will become the gearboxes of choice for many best-selling cars!
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.