We reported in detail when it emerged that Mahindra will be launching the XUV500 with an automatic transmission next year. Now, according to a report by ACI, it has emerged that Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has signed a deal with Aisin Seiki of Japan, a top global supplier of automatic transmissions, to supply the next-gen 6-speed automatic transmission for future M&M and SsangYong models.
This new 6 speed auto box will be used in the upcoming SsangYong compact SUV (code: X100), which will be then followed by the XUV500.
“Yes, we are going to install the Aisin six-speed automatic, which is coming in January 2015, and Mahindra is also considering the same gearbox for the XUV500, so volume wise that is great for us and we can save some money,” said Y I Lee, President and CEO of SsangYong Motor Company.
According to the report, a source from Mahindra said “the volumes for Mahindra alone were too small for Aisin to bother about us, it was only additional volumes of SsangYong that interested them in our business.”
Mahindra and SsangYong will be sourcing a high torque capacity six-speed automatic for transverse engine, front-wheel-drive application. This auto box will be a latest generation transmission (known as ‘version 4’) and is yet to be launched. This auto box has a few improvements over the current six-speed TF-80SC unit which can be seen on the Volvo S80, Peugeot 508 and Cadillac SRX.
This upcoming Aisin automatic gearbox will be a conventional torque converter, but will be equipped with a lot of sophisticated hardware and electronics to improve efficiency by reducing ‘spin loss.’ According to Aisin, its new generation of automatic transmissions are much lighter and have quicker gearshifts too.
Stay tuned to Motoroids for more updates on the Mahindra XUV500 Automatic Launch.