Land Rover, the British manufacturer of sport utility vehicles (SUV), is planning to unveil the new ZF nine-speed automatic transmission for transverse applications at the upcoming 2013 Geneva Motor Show to be held in Switzerland during 05-17 March.
Claimed to be the world's first of its type, the new 9HP transmission is developed in collaboration with ZF and will be manufactured at ZF's Gray Court facility in South Carolina, USA.
The new automatic transmission system is aimed at reducing emissions and improve efficiency, while its smaller ratio steps would improve response during acceleration, along with improved shift quality and refinement, as well as enhance all-terrain and all-weather capability.
The lowest ratio in the 9HP transmission is claimed to be lower than the current six-speed transmission and would be deployed for off-road use, towing, and on-road conditions.
Additionally, the 9HP features a skip-shift function for much swifter downshifting that allows meeting rapid deceleration demands.
The new transmission also comes with an adaptive shifting system that moulds the transmission as per the driving style, while the 'Fast-Off' and 'Curve' modes assume two different approaches to control upshifts.
Land Rover and ZF have also been involved in jointly developing integrated transmission solutions for Range Rover, Land Rover LR4 and Range Rover Sport vehicles.
