One feature that maximises space efficiency is the JaguarDrive SelectorTM, an unobtrusive yet completely practical solution to selecting
an automatic gear mode.
Not exact matches
The transmission, with its three
automatic «shift»
modes (including a rain setting) and handlebar «
gear» buttons (a traditional foot lever is also present) works smoothly and unobtrusively.
The PDK dual - clutch
automatic transmission clicks through its seven
gears with the speed of a firing pin, and the punch of every shift hits harder as you tap into Sport and Sport Plus
modes.
In either car, sliding the
gear selector to the left (the only position it actually stays in) activates an
automatic Sport
mode, which raises the rpm at which the transmission upshifts.
Then Chevy gives the gearbox to its calibration team to tune software and mitigate any wandering you might expect from a complex 10 - speed
automatic transmission, creating shift - logic systems like «lift - foot
gear - hold»
mode, which aggressively holds a
gear to prevent excessive upshifts and premature downshifts.
All use Mercedes's latest nine - speed 9G - TRONIC
automatic transmission, which varies its cog - swapping attributes depending on the driving
mode you've selected — in Eco it'll shuffle up to ninth as soon as conditions allow, while Sport and Sport + hang onto
gears for longer and change down earlier.
However, unlike the Enzo, the GT - R's twin - clutch paddleshift gearbox can be adjusted to change
gear less harshly, or even driven in full
automatic mode.
«Low»
mode showcases more aggressive shift logic for the eight - speed
automatic transmission, which has better clutches, hangs onto
gears longer, and changes ratios quicker than the standard transmission.
The trunk is tiny, despite the absence of even a space - saver spare, but our main quarrel is with the six - speed manual transmission that harnesses electrohydraulic technology to change
gears in the paddle - shift and
automatic modes.
And when it's in
automatic mode, the V12 Vantage S's single - clutch transmission does shift slowly, and the powertrain seems to pause a moment before the next
gear is automatically selected.
Until recently, the single - clutch automated manual was preferred to the dual - clutch design for high - performance cars because it shifted quicker and coped with greater torque loads, plus it offered the same manual
gear selection with shift paddles and the same
mode for
automatic shifting.
In its
automatic mode, the dual - clutch transmission can get you around a circuit nicely, and you won't have to search for the
gear selection readout.
Next you'll find the switches for the windows and the outside mirrors, and then Alfa's DNA (driving
mode) control knob accompanied by buttons to make the transmission electronically select reverse,
automatic or manual
gear selection, neutral, and first.
The transmission is programmed not to shift down past fourth
gear at highway speeds, so even though it has a perfectly smooth
automatic mode, you'll have to grab a paddle if you want full passing power.
Yes, you can paddle up or down through the
gears in the CLA250, but if you go more than 30 seconds without a shift, the car reverts to full -
automatic mode, which makes it hard to keep track of the
gear you're in.
Throttle response is good too, but left in
automatic mode the nine - speed transmission can occasionally take a few moments to work out which
gear is required when it kicks down for overtaking.
Selecting tow
mode on the seven - speed
automatic transmission changes the shift mapping so the QX can hold
gears longer during acceleration and downshift earlier when decelerating.
The 7 - series» DSC includes a huge amount of sub-functions, including ABS (anti-lock brakes), ASC (stability control, including a separate
mode for stabilizing a trailer), CBC (cornering brake control), DBC (Dynamic Brake Control, which recognizes panic situations and helps the driver to effect a full - braking panic stop with less pedal pressure), Brake Fade Compensation, Brake Drying (which applies the brakes slightly in wet conditions to keep the pads dry and thus ready for use), Brake Standby (which applies slight brake pressure in the event of a sudden lift from the gas, moving the brake pads up against the rotor for quicker response in a panic stop), Startoff Assistant (which prevents the 750i from rolling backwards down a hill as you start out), ACC Active Cruise Control (see below), and
automatic brake hold (which holds the car at a stop even with the transmission in
gear).
With everything ready to go, we switch the 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk's Selec - Terrain knob to the Sand
mode, which changes the throttle response, the nine - speed
automatic's
gear selection, and the four - wheel - drive system's torque distribution.
Whereas the eight - speed
automatics used by Audi and Jaguar will shift up with near - whiplash force and lightning - like speed in sport
mode, the Benz changes
gears with rapid fluency and velvet - glove urgency.
To compensate, the Panamera's transmission starts in second
gear as long as the selector is left in
automatic and you haven't activated sport plus
mode.
Its eight - speed
automatic transmission delays a bit kicking down, but the drivetrain's abundant power across the rev range masks the lag, and a Sport
mode holds lower
gears longer, lessening the need for a downshift at all.
Slap the 6 - speed
automatic into sport
mode, and this bread - and - butter family car springs to life, holding
gears longer and sounding cool and confident even when pushed to the limit.
The seven - speed
automatic operates with flawless logic (holding
gears indefinitely if the lever is first moved into manual
mode, returning to Drive after a few moments if it's not).
«Sport» also changes the transmission mapping, holding
gears longer if you drive the dual-gate in
automatic mode.
Many
automatic cars have a «winter
mode» which intentionally increases the
gear car starts rolling in to reduce torque and prevent getting stuck in snow / ice.
One is to manually select
gears via the shifter, the other is to use the
automatic Sport
mode.
Per Wayne's advice, we're feverishly upshifting the six - speed dual - clutch
automatic transmission in manual
mode, trying to reach sixth
gear as soon as possible so the engine will stay at minimum revs.
I do miss my manual transmission but it is nice to not have to hold the clutch in all the time in traffic and the
automatic transmission has a
mode where it will almost redline the engine before shifting
gears so you can really get going up hills when you need to.
You can also alter the
gear change speed for both the manual and
automatic modes.)
Good mpg as well, even in Sport
mode (if you are gentle on pedals it keeps low
gears and shifts up at 2000rpm, but keeps the immediate response which is lacking in Normal
mode, and I always turn off
automatic start - stop function).
The double clutch gearbox is a masterpiece, and while it's fun to shift yourself, the gearbox in
automatic mode shifts so fast and seamless that you'd think the car only has one
gear.
I like that the six - speed
automatic will hold
gears without special manipulation in manumatic
mode.
7 - speed PDK, featuring both a manual and an
automatic mode, is available as an option and offers extremely fast
gear changes with no interruption in the flow of power.
Bombing from corner to corner on the mercifully empty and endlessly twisting two - lane roads near Napa Valley, the
automatic even in sport - sharp
mode isn't quite as aggressive and intuitive in its
gear selections as one might hope (think Mercedes - Benz Speedshift MCT); shifting for yourself is the best way to keep the engine on the boil.
5 - speed
automatic driver - adaptive transmission - inc: Touch Shift optimum
gear programming comfort
mode electronically controlled shifting
The Easytronic can be driven in «manual
mode» simply by using the paddle shifter selector to change
gears if the driver wishes to do so, or alternatively it can be driven in exactly the same way as a fully conventional
automatic — however, many Easytronic owners have complained that
gear shifts in «
automatic mode» are jerky; a common complaint with semi-autos based on a conventional manual gearbox.
Transmission: Electronic 8 - Speed ZF
Automatic - inc: ZF 8HP70, JaguarDrive Control w / normal, eco, dynamic and rain / ice / snow
mode, JaguarDrive Selector rotary
gear selector and steering wheel mounted shift paddles
The optimised 7 - speed PDK, featuring both a manual and an
automatic mode, is available as an option and offers extremely fast
gear changes with no interruption in the flow of power.
The eight - speed
automatic transmission has fewer drive
modes than the BMW and isn't hooked into the GPS for improved fuel economy, but it still manages to change
gears smoothly and quickly.
Modern «Semi-
automatic transmissions» usually have a fully
automatic mode, where the driver does not need to change
gears at all, operating in the same manner as a conventional type of
automatic transmission by allowing the transmission's computer to automatically change
gear if, for example, the driver were redlining the engine.
A few also allow an alternate
automatic mode, often called «sport»
mode, where
gear selection is still fully
automatic but the transmission will favor higher engine speeds (at which the engine will produce the highest horsepower and / or torque) by up shifting later when accelerating and downshifting earlier when slowing.
Paired with an eight - speed
automatic transmission that can be switched to manual
mode and controlled by paddle shifters, you can grab as low a
gear as you want and feel that power surge up the inclines for several thousand rpm before grabbing the next
gear, though it was rare to get beyond fourth
gear on this climb.
While the
automatic transmission models have been developed to select the right
gear at the right time depending on the
mode chosen in the JaguarDrive Control ™ system and according to driving style, enthusiasts will make the most of manual shift control using the steering wheel - mounted paddles.
This 2.0 - litre turbo engine works well with BMW's optional eight - speed
automatic gearbox, which delivers smooth shifts in auto
mode and responds crisply when you use the lever or steering wheel mounted paddles to change
gears manually.
With the
automatic transmission comes a manual
mode that allows the driver to switch
gears manually using paddle shifters.
The system features what Buick calls «temporary tap» which lets the paddles function in Drive
mode, and reverting back to
automatic shifting when not used — unlike Manual function, which lets the driver row the
gears.
When placed in Sport driving
mode, the
automatic transmission did on one occasion clunk inelegantly into
gear when the car was driven with spirit on a twisting canyon road, but otherwise proved itself to be a model of refinement.
For extremely fast
gear changes with no interruption in the flow of power, the 7 - speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission, featuring both a manual and an
automatic mode, is available as an option.
However, the latter can be rather grumbly around town and becomes downright noisy if you've got the optional DSG
automatic gearbox and select Sport
mode, because this causes the car to hold onto
gears for longer and in turn makes the engine work harder.