New Fiat 9-speed auto box
had some time to kill at a dealer's yesterday and was invited to take out a new van with the latest Fiat auto box....9-speed torque converter unit not the robotised manual...and did about ten miles in it...
found it very smooth but, being a 9 speeder, the bottom couple of gears are pretty low, which means that moving away from junctions or roundabouts sees a couple of upchanges in just a short distance.
may be something you get used to but seemed like i wanted to put my foot down a bit more than in my manual 6 speeder...
however, sure to be a popular option.
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BB, if it is anything like the Iveco box it needs heavy boots to get the best performance. Not the slippers of motorhomers. It's quite possible that Low Mileage Motorhomer will not get the best out of it but it should be better than the Comfortmatic.
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Agree with Aspenshaw. There is a much different driving technique required for a TC auto gearbox compared to a manual - the heavier the boot, the longer between changes.
We have researched the new automatic Fiat vans and many reviews suggest it is very smooth and not detrimental to the vehicle's performance in the larger engine version. Some even said it was the best part of the vehicle! We live in hope!
It is difficult to assess the performance of a vehicle until it has covered a few hundred miles as the ECU is generally set to limit performance for a period from new.
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ive driven TC boxes many years ago, usually in underpowered cars so not much fun, even with a heavy boot....the reward, heavy fuel consumption.
....i must say, i was going pretty carefully as i was driving £150k's worth of van and, although the same brand, one a little wider and a metre and a half longer...
yes, it was smooth and, despite some opinion, i think the Ducato still drives pretty well for for a near 14 yr old model (baring engine and gearbox revisions).
my dad has a Peugeot robotic auto jobby which i hate in some areas and love in others...
would i go for one?.....possibly, but immediately felt right at home in our manual van for the long drive home...so not yet.
other options coming on stream now are the Merc, Transit, the Crafter/MAN bases with DSG boxes and, as mentioned, the Iveco (Ford) for larger vehicles.
so choice widening.
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OK the motorhome driving characteristics will be different to a car, and the ZF 9HP gearbox is an excellent unit but will only be as good as the software written for it, something 'Jeep' learnt from its early days of using it and subsequently improved its software. So Fiat I'm sure will take full advantage of that early days hiccup.
LandRover uses 2-9 in normal use with first reserved for off road or can be enforced by use of the paddles, this gives 3mph at tickover so definitely within site limits
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I wonder if Peugeot will ever get round to having an automatic box? Perhaps they are just waiting for electric vans to become common place as I imagine they will have auto boxes. Good that Fiat have taken the plunge with a proper automatic. Have driven automatic cars for the last 14 years and absolutely no wish to go back to a manual. As our current motorhome is less that a year old I suspect we won't be in the market for a new van anytime soon.
David
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if it is anything like the Iveco box it needs heavy boots to get the best performance.
Does anyone really want great performance from a motorhome. I am quite happy to poodle along in my IVEC with it 6 speed Agile semi auto box. I am not one for rushing around and it has been very relaible so far.
peedee
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David, Peugeot obviously do have a range of auto boxes for their passenger cars and MPVs....my father has a Partner Teepee...lole a larger Berlingo...
whether they have versions to fit larger vans, i dont know, but the Boxer, along with the Ducato and Jumper, is part of the Sevel collaboration with Citoen and Peugeot fitting their own engines (and gearboxes) to differentiate from the Ducato.
many converters give their customers an Auto option by building the same layout on a Fiat, rather than Peugeot base.
im not sure if Bailey offer this option, but certainly AS do.
for some buyers, an auto option (or not) might take precedence over even the layout.
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these new fx gearboxes have to learn the way the driver drives (sounds stupid I know) but a pal had one and he drove on daily basis and when wife drove she said was horrible to use. he did like to put his foot down. my 8 speeder in the jeep is brilliant.
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Ford used the DAF Variomatic type of gearbox years ago in their Fiesta .... I've had the misfortune to encounter this type of variable drive at work but fortunately industry has moved away from this kind of drive in favour of direct drive & electrickery
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Are not Peugeot motorhome base vehicles just a rebranded Fiat?
If so then technically Fiat ought to be able to put their licenced built ZF 9HP auto into that.
Therefore I expect it is all down to a branding decision if they see the Peugeot buyer as sufficiently an auto box person, or leave the auto as a premium feature of the Fiat brand.
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It’s my understanding that until recently they were separate companies and elements of the vehicles, such as electronics, differed. It wasn’t simply a rebadging job.
Now that Peugeot/Citroen/Opel/Vauxhall have merged with Fiat, there’s a feeling in the industry that the 9 speed auto will probably be used by all, or so I’m told.
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Our Wrangler learns the terrain, as well as the driver. It performs quite differently after a trip to Dartmoor for a while after we return. Clever stuff!
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OH usually mutters for a couple of days after we get back from climbing hills, but only if we are back to shorter trips around home. You can hear/feel the car hunting for best gear, but once you help it along a couple of times, it soon gets the message. We have long, big hills around us, Dartmoor tends to be short and sharper, more twists and turns.
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Just to clarify, electric vehicles don't have gear boxes, neither manual nor auto although there may be a single fixed cog to get the transmission speed correct. That’s one of the numerous advantages of EVs - no combustion engine, fuel system, exhaust, gearbox etc. Speed is controlled by the electronics supplying the motor. Unfortunately battery operated motorhomes present a lot of challenges for present battery technology so I don’t think we will see them as viable options for some time.
Back on topic, yes, it’s a bit annoying that Peugeot don't do an auto box although personally I am happy with a manual on the motorhome despite not having owned a manual car for about 40 years.
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This box has been around since approx 2014 introduced in Jeep and the land rover mid size SUVs. I have found my 2014 Jeep version to be reliable. The box seems to try and keep rpm between 1500-2000. Good for economy I guess 70 mph on the motorway is 1600 rpm. Will even get into 9th towing 1550kg on the level at 60. The engine is the fiat jtdII so sounds similar to the new van. My all up towing train weight is around 3.5t I get 23-28mpg depending on wind/terrain towing at legal max speeds.
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Well that's a merger that passed me by! The first four are part of the same organisation since their parent company, PSA, aquired the European operations of General Motors. Fiat, however, are entirely separate and are the major part of FCA, Fiat Chrysler Auto.
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My apology. It hasn't happened yet. Today is decision day.
https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/eu-decide-fiat-chrysler-psa-merger-june-17
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