Meeting increasingly demanding CAFE requirements while still maintaining the kind of overall drivability that consumers insist upon has become a key challenge for all automakers. In addition to decreasing the displacement and number of cylinders in their engines, more and more have started to help that effort by increasing the cog count in their conventional automatic transmissions. At the moment, the industry leaders are autoshifters with eight ratios to help max mileage numbers, but Hyundai
Just the Facts: GM will offer a six-speed automatic in the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco. Initially GM said only a manual would be available. Fuel economy numbers with the automatic will be released closer to launch. DETROIT — General Motors will offer the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco with a six-speed automatic transmission. This is a change from the previously announced plan to give the fuel-efficiency-slanted model a six-speed manual transmission only. Engineers working on the Cruze
It’s no secret that, aside from the Fiat Group-sourced 168bhp 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir engine, the new 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan continues to use two powerplants from Chrysler’s past. You see, while the Detroit maker is marketing its 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder units under the new “Tigershark” moniker, both have their roots in the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) family of engines. To explain, GEMA was a joint venture of the Chrysler Group, Mitsubishi Motors,
Transmission Fluid-The “Forgotten Fluid” Servicing your vehicle’s Automatic Transmission is VERY important, but seems to be the “Forgotten Fluid”. You may be asking yourself: “When should I have my Automatic Transmission serviced?” The answer varies: Mileage for servicing an Automatic Transmission varies from every 25,000 miles to “Never” depending on the manufacturers guide lines. If the transmission fluid isn’t changed within the schedule mileage, you’ll be lubricating your transmission with a dirty fluid that is
