The Tata Group owned Jaguar Land Rover is fast upping the ante in the premium SUV segment. After getting a lot of appreciation for introducing an 8-speed transmission on the new Range Rover and Discovery, Land Rover has now showcased world’s first 9 speed automatic transmission at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.
It is being said that the new automatic transmission will help in enhancing the fuel economy and lowering the emissions of Jaguar Land Rover cars.
The high selling Evoque should become the first car to get the new 9 speed automatic transmission.
The ZF ’9HP’ transmission is claimed to be the most technically advanced gearbox built for any passenger car in the world.
The new gear box is being expected to bestow the Evoque with better acceleration figures and a higher top speed along with an improved shift quality and more refinement.
The ’9HP’ has been designed with keeping off-roading applications in mind and the lowest ratio on the 9HP is considerably lower than the lowest ratio on the six-speed transmission that is currently employed in the Evoque. The new 9 speed ‘box has been made to suit applications such as off-road, towing, high altitude and steep gradients.
Unlike the sequential shift feature of the current six-speed transmission, the 9HP has a skip-shift function that enables faster downshifting. The torque converter on the new transmission has a multi-stage damper system for better refinement. The transmission also has a feature that allows it to become sharper during brisk driving and become economical under sedate driving.
Even though the new transmission gets three more gear ratios, the gearbox is 7.5 kgs lighter and is only 6mm longer than the outgoing six-speed transmission!
The new 9HP transmission is produced at ZF’s Gray Court plant in South Carolina.