Magna JV begins production of dual-clutch transmissions in Wuhan, China

Magna International Inc has announced that Dongfeng GETRAG Transmission Co, a 50/50 joint-venture formed in 2012 between GETRAG and Dongfeng Motor Group, has started serial production at its plant in Wuhan, China.

The plant is manufacturing the GETRAG 6DCT150, a third-generation dual-clutch transmission (DCT) with a new compact gear design that was developed jointly by the JV partners.

The 6DCT150 is a six-speed DCT developed for front-transverse applications in small and compact cars. With six forward gears, one reverse gear and a wet clutch, the automatic transmission addresses market demands in China for a smaller, lower weight system. In addition, the transmission could contribute to a favorable fleet fuel-consumption rating as well as lower fuel costs for individual vehicle purchasers. Another DCT family member, the GETRAG 6DCT200 will also be brought to the China car market in 2017.

"Compared to automatic torque converters and CVTs in the low-cost segment, the GETRAG low-torque DCTs can achieve a fuel-consumption advantage of 10 to 20 percent," said Didier Lexa, GETRAG Chief Technical Officer. "It can also achieve a fuel-consumption advantage of 5 percent compared to a five-speed manual transmission. The GETRAG low-torque DCTs can therefore provide an efficient and affordable automatic transmission to lower-priced vehicles."

Dongfeng GETRAG Transmission Co is one of two GETRAG engineering and manufacturing joint ventures in China. "The Chinese car market is important to us. The joint development of 6DCT150 and 6DCT200 together with Dongfeng shows that we take this market and its requirements very seriously," said YoungHo Lee, GETRAG Asia Pacific CEO. "We believe that economic growth, automation and climate change will drive the developments in our industry. These new products can help us to get a better position to realize future opportunities."

Magna International acquired GETRAG early in 2016 as part of its Magna Powertrain operating unit. Beyond enhancing Magna's powertrain systems engineering and manufacturing capabilities, the combined product portfolio is expected to enhance vertical integration opportunities and provide new opportunities for growth.