It seems that the software problems with the nine-speed automatic gearbox in the Jeep Cherokee continue to mount. The programming already caused multiple development delays and even postponed the Cherokee's market launch by roughly two months. Now, Chris Bruce
On September 23, Automotive News reported that Chrysler had idled the second shift workers it hired just five weeks prior at its Toledo Assembly Complex to build the 2014 Jeep Cherokee. At the time, Chrysler said it had "built the critical number of vehicles we need to stock dealerships once containment is
In the age-old debate of whether government regulations help or hinder economic growth, here's one example where more rules have helped create American jobs.
How many is too many? When you're talking the number of ratios offered in automatic transmissions, it seems the industry is always interested in adding one more gear; four-speeds turned into five, then six, seven and now eight. Where will it all end? According to Stefan Sommer, CEO of transmission maker ZF, nine is the ultimate endgame.
Remember the Powerglide? An automatic with two forward speeds, it's almost inconceivable today that such a transmission was ever state of the art. Why, we've heard plenty of grumbling from the peanut gallery about Honda and its continued widespread use of a five-speed automatic when most of the rest of the world is offering six speeds. And then there are those carmakers engaging in the mine-is-bigger-than-yours battle of transmissions that resulted i
The first eight-speed automatic transmission in a domestically manufactured automobile will debut in both the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger for 2012. The eight-speed slushbox, developed by German transmission specialist ZF and often found Eric Loveday
During the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, ZF announced that is was forging forward with plans to develop a nine-speed automatic transmission and the gearbox specialist is now ready to dish out some details. ZF claims that the 9HP transmiss
This week at the Detroit Auto Show, ZF announced that it's forging forward with plans to produce a nine-speed automatic transmission for front-wheel-drive vehicles. The ZF-developed nine-speed tranny incorporates advanced technology that, aside from enhancing the performance of front-wheel-drive vehicles, will apparently cut down on fuel usage.
Did your favorite brand just move to six-speed automatics? Are you already cruising along happily in seventh gear or perhaps you're enjoying the scenery with your transmission lazily churning in eighth. Well move over because ZF is getting ready to produce a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
2011 Range Rover TDV8 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Chrysler eight-speed automatic transmission – click above to watch the video
Chrysler is set to become the first U.S.-based automaker to adopt eight-speed automatic transmissions. ZF announced on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement to provide its increasingly widely used 8HP transmission for Chrysler applications. Initially, ZF will build transmissions for Chrysler, but the automaker is also getting a license to produce the transmissions in-house. Chrysler will tool up its Kokomo, IN transmission plant by 2013
One door closes, another one opens. Just as Chrysler is working to extricate itself from its deal with Getrag, the Pentastar people are about to announce a deal with ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Chrysler is erecting a plant in Marysville, Michigan that will build axles and employ 900 workers, but word is that the deal will involve ZF signing a long-term commitment to operate the plant.
In the name of increased efficiency, and quite possibly playing the game of automotive one-upmanship, luxury automakers such as Mercedes Benz, BMW and Lexus have been adding more and more gear ratios to their automatic transmissions. By allowing a computer to choose the most appropriate ratio for any given scenario, the vehicle's engine is required to only make as much power as absolutely necessary, potentially saving fuel in the process. ZF, one of the largest transmission makers in the world,
Is it solely a case of one-upmanship that is driving the number of forward gear ratios forward in today's passenger cars? Or, are consumers choosing vehicles based on the number of gears in the transmission? I am not entirely sure, but I do know that I would consider passing on a vehicle just because it only has a four-speed transmission. As rare as they are today, some vehicles, like the GM full-size pickups, are still using four-speed automatic transmissions. Before you comment, I know that th
