It’s no secret that the upcoming locally-assembled Proton X70 will come with a new dual-clutch transmission. About a month ago, Proton flew us out to Geely’s assembly plant in Ningbo, China, to get a taste of the new gearbox.
How well does the new DCT gearbox drive, especially in low speeds, and will it come with reliability horrors that have plagued many other manufacturers? Watch on to find out!
The new seven-speed DCT gearbox, codenamed 7DCT330, is developed completely in-house by Geely and features a wet clutch set-up. Having a wet clutch means that the oil in the clutch pan will help dissipate heat, making it more suitable for higher-powered applications.
The higher torque tolerance (as denoted by the ‘330’ [Nm] in the name) thanks to the wet-clutch set up makes it a perfect pairing for the new and improved third-generation 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, capable of churning out 181 hp and 300 Nm of torque, a 15 Nm increase from its predecessor.
The new seven-speed DCT also boasts an overall efficiency level of 94.6% (peak of 97%), which is close to the efficiency of a manual transmission and higher than competing transmissions from Germany and Japan, according to Geely.
Adding the whole lot up equates to a quicker century sprint time, which Proton claims it to be 9.5 seconds, a whole second faster than the CBU unit.
The locally-assembled Proton X70 will be launched very soon, so do keep a look out for it on AutoBuzz.my. At the mean time, do check out our full write up for more information on the new seven-speed DCT!
