Audi Unsure of DSG Growth

The Direct Shift Gearbox, developed by Audi parent Volkswagen AG and supplier BorgWarner Inc., has enjoyed almost universal acclaim in both Europe and the U.S., where it is deployed in a variety of VW Group products.

But despite rave reviews for the dual-clutch automated manual transmission, Audi officials say technical considerations mean they cannot determine when — or even if — DSG availability will expand beyond the current range of models, which is somewhat limited.

In North America, DSG debuted in 2003 in the Audi TT, followed by various VW-brand models. For Audi's entry level A3 sport hatchback, DSG is preferred over a conventional manual by a 3-1 margin.

But so far, DSG application is limited to VW/Audi models with transverse engine layouts, which means much of Audi's model lineup cannot use the innovative transmission, which allows drivers to manually change gears without power interruption and without having to depress a clutch pedal. The gearbox also functions like an automatic.

VW engineers say they are adapting DSG for vehicles with larger engines placed longitudinally, but they cannot say when the new gearbox might be ready for wider usage.