Volkswagen has added an optional five-speed automated manual gearbox to its new Volkswagen Up city car. It is available to order now and will cost customers a £595 premium over a standard five-speed manual Up.
The Automatic Shift Gearbox (ASG) improves fuel economy and CO2 emissions compared with the manual unit and is available on three-door and five-door Move Up and High Up models (excluding BlueMotion Technology cars). Prices for ASG-equipped cars start from £9675.
When fitted to the 59bhp 1.0-litre Move Up, the new transmission helps the city car to achieve 64.2mpg combined, while emitting 103g/km of CO2. By comparison, the five-speed manual version returns 62.8mpg and emits 105g/km of CO2.
Performance figures for the semi-automatic Up do take a slight hit compared with the manual car; the 0-62mph sprint rises from 14.4sec to 15.3sec for the 59bhp Move Up and from 13.2sec to 13.9sec for the 74bhp High Up model.
The most frugal Up in the range remains the Move Up BlueMotion Technology, with figures of 68.9mpg and 95g/km.
The ASG weighs 3kg more than the manual gearbox, at 30kg, and is controlled by two electromechanical actuators, which engage the gears. The clutch is controlled by another electric motor.
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I do hope it is a new box and
I do hope it is a new box and not the one available (as has already been pointed out) in the Citigo. There are already reviews of this box and none make pleasant reading, in fact one went so far as to suggest it made a smart auto look smooth.
About the best review I could find was an Australian one on the Citigo auto and that was enough to put me off any thoughts about replacing our fortwo with one.
Zimmerit wrote: I do hope it
If it is worse than the smart semi-auto, then that is poor. I love my smart, I even love the gearbox, but I do admit it isn't perfect. The current fortwo's 5 speed 'box is a vast improvement on the original 6 speed in my car, but still not perfect.
Personally, I love semi autos. You have to know how to drive them smoothly, and once mastered, it can be fun. The smart roadster, with a paddle shift wheel, was my favourite car ever
I bought a diesel smart 4 years ago, it had a 3 cylinder engine. Loved it, the off beat thrum was fun. Yes, it wasn't quiet, but it was endearing.
Automatically better for the city
I can change up and down, quite happily, and enjoy. However, for my motoring these days, I much prefer an automatic, providing it is a good one. The novelty of manual changes in congested traffic soon wears off in my book. Good for VW. Cannot help feeling that a good CVT is better for town use than an automated manual, but those who won't buy into the CVT idea, then this ASG may be just fine. Will it suffer the same criticisms, though, that Citroen's (and Smart's) version does?
Automatic versus manual
I'm with you on an automatic versus a manual for almost all driving conditions one encounters on a regular basis. In congested city driving I find a manual to be an unnecessary distraction with no positive compensating enjoyment factor.
Hmm ...
Is this the same "ASG" fitted to the Skoda Citigo "Automatic", which has been available on that variant since launch??