DSG Going, New 8 Speed Automatic Coming To Volkswagen Virtus, Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, Slavia

Come 2026, Volkswagen and Skoda mass market cars will make a big transition from a dual clutch automatic gearbox – the DQ200 to be specific – to the 8 speed torque converter automatic gearbox sourced from Japanese transmission major Aisin. The cars that will make this switch include the Volkswagen Virtus, Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and Slavia, which is pretty much the entire mass market line up of cars that the German and Czech brands retail in India.

What’s prompted the Volkswagen group to make this switch?

One, emissions. Two, future-readiness. Three, reliability. Four, supply.

Emissions first.

Emission norms are getting tighter and tighter and an extra ratio or two makes a critical difference in meeting the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms that will come into effect by the end of 2027.

The additional gears will reduce the gap between each gear, and this will reduce fuel consumption as the engine will be able to run more efficiently across the rev range. These small but significant change is one of the many factors designed to help Volkswagen and Skoda cars meet the ever tightening emission norms.

Two, future-readiness.

Replacing the 7 speed dual clutch automatic and 6 speed torque converter automatic gearboxes with the new 8 speed unit will help Volkswagen and Skoda make its cars future ready. For instance, the DQ200 gearbox’s maximum torque is rated at 250 Nm, which means that Volkswagen and Skoda cannot extract more performance from the 1.5 liter TSI turbo petrol engine, whose current outputs stand at 148 Bhp-250 Nm.

On the other hand, the 8 speed torque converter automatic gearbox from Aisin is rated for 300 Nm of peak torque. This will allow Volkswagen and Skoda to boost outputs of the 1.5 liter TSI motor. So, the Volkswagen Virtus and Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and Slavia are likely to get a power boost with the new automatic gearbox and 1.5 TSI engine combination.

Three, reliability.

The DQ200 DSG twin clutch automatic gearbox is a dry clutch unit, and is known to overheat and fail on cars used mainly in stop-go traffic. In fact, many owners buying Volkswagen and Skoda cars with the DSG DS200 gearbox live with fear of the automatic gearbox eventually breaking down and costing a hefty sum of money to fix. Torque converters are known to be far more reliable than twin clutch automatic gearboxes running dry clutches. So, the Aisin 8 speeder replacing the DQ200 is a welcome change.

The DQ200 dual clutch automatic gearbox introduced India to blazingly quick automatic gearboxes, when it was first introduced on mass market cars such as the Skoda Octavia and Superb models.

But the real democratization of cutting edge gearbox technology happened when this very gearbox made it to the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI, a car that started from under Rs. 10 lakh. Mated to a 1.2 liter turbo petrol engine, the DSG gearbox made the Volkswagen Polo GT a middle class car enthusiast’s dream – a hot hatch that loved to be driven aggressively.

Ever since, the DSG automatic gearbox as been a regular fixture on performance-focused variants of mass market Volkswagen and Skoda cars. The long list of cars – past and present – featuring the DSG automatic gearbox, particularly the DQ200 include the Volkswagen Polo, Vento, Ameo, Virtus, Taigun, Skoda Rapid, Slavia and Kushaq.

Apart from overheating issues, another limiting factor of the DQ200 gearbox was the peak torque output it could handle. A 250 Nm upper limit meant that Skoda and Volkswagen had to limit torque outputs while using this gearbox. For instance, the 1.8 liter TSI turbo petrol engine found on the Octavias and Superbs had to be limited to 250 Nm because of the gearbox limitation.

With the Aisin AQ300 all set to take over transmission duties from the DQ200 on budget Volkswagens and Skodas, it’ll be the end of an era. Who knows, the entire Indian car market may shift to the 8 speed torque converter automatic gearbox, even in budget segments.

This brings us to the 4th factor: Supply!

Japanese transmission giant Aisin has been supplying gearboxes to car makers in India for a while now. In fact, every Mahindra SUV offered with a torque converter automatic gearbox runs an Aisin torque converter, but in higher spec. So is the case with Tata Motors, whose Safari and Harrier run the Aisin gearbox.

Then, there’s Hyundai, whose diesels run the Aisin 6 speed automatic torque converter, and so does diesel cars from Kia Motors. Why, even market leader Maruti Suzuki uses a 6 speed Aisin automatic gearbox across its car range. So, the sheer volumes that Aisin does for its 6 speed torque converter automatic gearboxes in multiple torque configurations is mind boggling.

For all the car makers mentioned above, setting up an in-house gearbox factory for specific needs is quite expensive and cumbersome. They’d rather go to an expert such as Aisin, which is what has happened so far. A similar approach is likely to be taken in future as well, to meet tighter emission norms.

So, the transistion from the 6 speed to 8 speed Aisin torque converter is likely to happen across car manufacturers. Like the erstwhile 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet diesel engine was India’s ‘National Diesel Engine’, expect the 8 speed Aisin automatic gearbox to be India’s ‘National Automatic Gearbox’ come 2026.

Also, with volumes increasing for Aisin, the Japanese transmission is expected to set up a new automatic gearbox manufacturing facility in India. Localization will help drive down cost of the gearbox, which is a big win for everyone concerned. Car makers will be able to price their automatic cars more competitively with customers getting the benefit of lower prices, service and part replacement costs.

What happens to the AQ250 gearbox?

Currently, the AQ250 torque converter gearbox is found on the Volkswagen Virtus, Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and Slavia. Soon, even the Kylaq will get this gearbox with the 1 liter TSI turbo petrol engine. Once the 8 speed unit (AQ300) comes in, we expect all these cars, including the Kylaq, to make the transition to the newer gearbox. So, the AQ250 gearbox is expected to be retired. This is likely to happen not just with Skoda and Volkswagen, but also with every other car maker who currently uses the AQ250 automatic transmission in the Indian market.