Geartronic is ready for the battlefield!
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• The new generaton Volvo Geartronic fully automated transmission system is aimed directly at the long-haul and regional distribution sectors. The tougher conditions of heavy haulage and off-highway operations are catered for by the torque-converter-equipped .Powertronic system, which maintains drive during changes.
The original Geartronic was very much an add-on to the existing manual transmission. Various components of the operating system simply hung on to the outside of the casing in a slightly Heath fiobinson fashion, vulnerable to all kinds of external nasties. Despite the use of military sten dard electrical connectlons, Volvo suggests, not entirely tongue in cheek, that the haulage environment can be tougher than the battlefield.
Although the new version is also based on a manual box, the 14-speed VT unit, it has been integrated far more, with external components reduced to a minimum. The clutch operating mechanism is now a fully enclosed flange-mounted affair instead of the exposed crank previously used, and the rail operating cylinders are now neatly enclosed in a sealed box. The rail cylinders have been rationalised, with one cylinder moving the selector laterally and another for the fore-and-aft move meet, whereas there used to be one rail for each pair of gears.
New Geartronic has more sophisticated driving controls than before. The transmission can stifl be used as a clutchless manual device using the usual three forward-speed gate, with reverse and crawler gears in the usual position. Pulling the lever back into the position where fourth would be engages automatic mode.
For specific situations, a number of operating modes are accessed from a panel behind the lever. One button toggles between economy (E) and power (P) modes, with P making shifts around 200rpm higher than E. The other button controls the brake (8) mode, which automatically engages the correct gear for optimum use of whichever secondary braking device is fitted. The pedal is fitted with a kick-down facility, which is effectively the same as P mode, while the normal splitter button can be used to force up or down-shifts on demand. Despite all these aids, the transmission's ECU wit not permit a potentially damaging gear change.
The normal Volvo information display shows which mode and gear are cur
rently selected, together with arrows indicating which other gears are available for use. Unfortunately, using the standard screen means that if any of the other information provided by the display system is needed, the gear information is hidden.
Our driving impressions were gained in an FM12 380 4x2 with a tri-axle trailer running at 40 tonnes.
Moving from rest is simply a matter of releasing the brakes and pressing the accelerator. Upward gear changes are made smoothly, if a little leisurely. Down shifts tend to be just as smooth but noticeably quicker. The only time the transmission failed to select the right gear was while pulling out of a side road on an uphill slope, when it became momentarily confused by the use of part
throttle; using full throttle would have prevented this.
One nice feature is that whereas splitting a gear with a manual disengages the cruise control, the automatic avoids this minor irritation.
While Volvo claims the new Geartronic is able to operate as well as an average driver, it also has sufficient flexibility for an expert driver to get that little bit more out of it. Stress and tiredness should be reduced by the lower workload and more time is available to concentrate on other traffic, particularly during those situations when the demand for gearchanging tends to be at its highest.
The new transmission will be available in the New Year at an estimated cost of £2,000-E3,000.