Any News about Fiat Ducato's 8-Speed Transmission

[Roby2008]

You forgot double de-clutching!

That would have been too confusing for our younger members.......I learnt to drive in a 39 Morris 10cwt van, full crash box, moving up to the Minor 1000 with only a crash first was heaven....

 

[Steve I]

Take it back. You've got one missing.

Nah, one too many, he’s got 9!

 

[Roby2008]

Nah, one too many, he’s got 9!

He has the same edumatcation wot I did ......

 

[Pausim]

That would have been too confusing for our younger members.......I learnt to drive in a 39 Morris 10cwt van, full crash box, moving up to the Minor 1000 with only a crash first was heaven....

The real skill was in the heal and toe i.e. braking with your toes whilst using your heal to flick the accelerator for the double de-clutch.

 

[Spriddler]

Nah, one too many, he’s got 9!

No, one missing. He actually said he has an 8 speed.............

Has anyone heard anything about the new 8 speed auto gear box on the fiat Ducato

Nothing bad, mine is an absolute dream after the comformatic......

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[Steve I]

ZF 9 speed brilliant. Presume new 8 speed in-house will be cheaper. On a Camperstop in Spain watching a German comformatic equipped camper being loaded onto breakdown truck. No gears, no local garage able to fix. Poor guy spent 5000 euros last year 14 months ago on repairs. Warranty 12 months!

My pal has a Hymer with the current 9-sp in it and seems really efficient, certainly if they swap from the XF to an in-house I would guess that there’ll be a stampede for the “old” model and a big delay in orders for the new to ensure it is reliable. Or a jump to the alternatives like Ford chassis with its very solid 6-sp auto and drama free, mine’s almost 5 years now and the Fist at the time was Comfortmatic which always seemed like a breakdown waiting to happen

 

[Roby2008]

The real skill was in the heal and toe i.e. braking with your toes whilst using your heal to flick the accelerator for the double de-clutch.

Not with my size 10s, I never mastered that technique , I was happy and still am that I could do it at all.

 

[Lenny HB]

I think 6th is too high because motorhomes are heavy, unaerodynamic and the wheels are too big. It was optimised for delivery vans.

Motorhome chassis has lower ratios than vans.

The real skill was in the heal and toe i.e. braking with your toes whilst using your heal to flick the accelerator for the double de-clutch.

Not much fun in a modern vehicle when you touch both and the engine cuts out.

 

[Pausim]

My speculation is the 8 speed is an in-house box originally designed by Citroen for MPVs with a 2.0 diesel litre engine.
I suspect it'll be a let down compared to the ZF 9 speed. But it might make it cheaper.

I think it might be the new Stellantis gearbox developed in the USA which is designed to work with ICE and Hybrid vehicles.

Stellantis investing $229 M to produce new transmission | Car News | Auto123

Stellantis will invest $229 million to produce a new 8-speed automatic transmission as part of its long-term electrification plan. Auto123 has the details.

www.auto123.com

Hybrid vehicles may be around for a lot longer than pure ICE ones.

 

[Guigsy]

Motorhome chassis has lower ratios than vans.

My previous PVC started life as a work van before the previous owner paid to have it converted. If there's a difference, it must be pretty small. The revs seem to be lower on my new van, which I put down to the larger wheels.

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[Lenny HB]

ZF 9 speed brilliant. Presume new 8 speed in-house will be cheaper.

The 9 speed is built in the Fiat/Chrysler factory in South Caroliner which I think is going to build the 8 speed.
9 speed has been made since 2013 in different torque versions its fitted to Jeeps and FWD Range Rovers.

 

[Margaux2]

Has anyone heard anything about the new 8 speed auto gear box on the fiat Ducato

Is this not a ZF transmission?

 

[Margaux2]

Has anyone heard anything about the new 8 speed auto gear box on the fiat Ducato

Time these Motorhome manufacturers put in an IVT !

 

[Guigsy]

Time these Motorhome manufacturers put in an IVT !

CVTs are not good for high torque scenarios. Which is why they tend to be on smaller cars. The mechanism also has a higher inefficiency than meshing gears. Once you've got 9 speeds to play with, I expect the efficiency gains from infinite ratios pretty much disappears.

 

[Guigsy]

Is this not a ZF transmission?

Unlikely. When the ZF 9 speed was introduced in the Ducato, Stellantis was still new. Now they've been around a few years, they are trying to put the same parts in as many models as possible, and reduce purchasing components from outside. So the 8 speed is likely to be an in-house design.

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[royandsharont]

Mine def uses all 9 gears....

Mine does too

 

[IRHP]

What's 6 years got to do with it?

Because just Smiffy said we are supposed to be all electric in 6 years.

 

[SpeedyDux]

My speculation is the 8 speed is an in-house box originally designed by Citroen for MPVs with a 2.0 diesel litre engine.
I suspect it'll be a let down compared to the ZF 9 speed. But it might make it cheaper.

As long as it isn't a Jatco it should be OK. I don't understand the need for 9 speeds or even 8 speeds. 6 should be enough. Any torque converter is a Good Thing.

Yet another facelift for the X290. The biggest improvement will be the fully digital dash (hopefully standard and not extra) with clocks you can read, at last.

 

[Lenny HB]

Because just Smiffy said we are supposed to be all electric in 6 years.

But he got it wrong, poor boy doesn't keep up, it was changed a year ago to 2035.

 

[Lenny HB]

Yet another facelift for the X290. The biggest improvement will be the fully digital dash (hopefully standard and not extra) with clocks you can read, at last.

That has been around since the Series 8, always been an option not standard, on my van if it ever comes it's £2400.

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[SpeedyDux]

That has been around since the Series 8, always been an option not standard, on my van if it ever comes it's £2400.

A ludicrous extra cost. Fiat are taking the piss.

My cheapo car has as standard a digital dash + infotainment screen. Whenever I get back in the X290 cab, it feels like I am in an entry-level van with pitiful very cheap dash clocks. Even the base Panda is better. I have got used to my Garmin as the default speedometer, but it shouldn't have to be like that.

 

[Guigsy]

A ludicrous extra cost. Fiat are taking the piss.

My cheapo car has as standard a digital dash + infotainment screen. Whenever I get back in the X290 cab, it feels like I am in an entry-level van with pitiful very cheap dash clocks. Even the base Panda is better. I have got used to my Garmin as the default speedometer, but it shouldn't have to be like that.

LCD screens for dials are actually cheaper to manufacture than mechanical items. It's also much easier on the engineering as fixes can be made in software. But they're perceived as premium, so manufacturers charge more.

 

[Lenny HB]

A ludicrous extra cost. Fiat are taking the piss.

Not necessarily Fiat it's the converter that sets the price, and what else is included, it comes with the 10" infotainment screen with satnav, in the £2400 they include the Leather steering wheel with remote controls that they charge £504 if bought separately again silly prices but it's the converter that's winding up the prices.
On the other hand if you bought a head unit with 10"screen & amplifier with satnav as an after fit you would be into over £1500.

 

[rod_vw]

Manual boxes are so yesterday!

Yes, but they probably won't need fixing tomorrow!

 

[gus-lopez]

On the other hand if you bought a head unit with 10"screen & amplifier with satnav as an after fit you would be into over £1500.

I paid 33,48€ the other day .

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[Lenny HB]

I paid 33,48€ the other day .

Do you really expect me to believe that you bought a brand new 10" display head unit with Apple Play, Android auto with Sat Nav and amplifier for €33.

 

[Roby2008]

Do you really expect me to believe that you bought a brand new 10" display head unit with Apple Play, Android auto with Sat Nav and amplifier for €33.

Its Chinese, Nowor King is the Brand....

 

[Barti Ddu]

On US RV sites there has been much discussion/complaint that the 9-speed gearbox is designed for all Fiat's from cars to the Ducatto/RAM Promaster but installers just block out the top two gears so it is a de facto 7-speed gearbox (the top 2 gears don't have enough torque for a full 4,000 kg van).

Is the lack of torque and subsequent loss of the top two gears in the US due to the Promaster / Ducato there being petrol rather diesel?

 

[maison]

On US RV sites there has been much discussion/complaint that the 9-speed gearbox is designed for all Fiat's from cars to the Ducatto/RAM Promaster but installers just block out the top two gears so it is a de facto 7-speed gearbox (the top 2 gears don't have enough torque for a full 4,000 kg van).

Maybe Fiat are just being honest and keeping the gearbox the same but removing the top gear for all vans.

If you have a 9-speed does it use the top 2 gears (use the manual override, can you get the rev reduction of the higher gears above 7? I tried this on a US van and it does stop at 7, can't access 8th, or 9th, gear).

Yes it does use the top two gears.

 

[PaddyM]

Yes it does use the top two gears.

Mine definitely does , the whole gearbox experience is an automotive joy to use . I’d never go back to a manual box ever .
My wife’s 208 is a manual and it’s like stepping back into the dark ages driving it !

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