A dual-clutch transmission will be added to the Volvo V40 line-up in 2014 as the Swedish manufacturer looks to improve the performance and efficiency of its recently released small car.
Volvo vehicle line director Hakan Abrahamsson told CarAdvice at the Australian launch of the Volvo V40 that selected variants of the premium hatchback including the entry-level diesel would benefit from a dual-clutch automatic gearbox option from 2014.
“It won’t be until 2014, but the V40 D2 will definitely be available with a Getrag dual-clutch transmission,” Abrahamsson said.
“We haven’t decided on pricing or whether or not we would even continue with a manual version in Australia. That decision would be made locally.”
All but two Volvo V40 models offered in Australia are equipped exclusively with a conventional six-speed automatic transmission. A six-speed manual is standard in the $34,990 D2 base model and the $39,990 D4 Kinetic, where an auto is optional.
Abrahammson was tight-lipped on whether the dual-clutch unit would replace the automatic transmission or be sold alongside it in next year’s V40 line-up.
“I can’t say at this stage if V40 would offer a dual-clutch transmission instead of the current six-speed automatics,” he said. “But it’s a possibility, given we use them in a range of Volvo models including XC60, S60 and V60.”
