Mercedes-Benz announced that its new ultra-efficient nine-speed gearbox, which it currently only offers in the V6 diesel E-Class, will eventually become available on most of their rear- and all-wheel driven models. However, not all geographical areas will be getting it in the same cars at the same time. According to Edmunds, in the US, the first vehicle to be equipped with this transmission is the sleek CLS.
The information, however, is not official, and comes from an unnamed insider, yet it reveals that while you can now already order the nine-speed-equipped E-Class in Europe, Stateside buyers will have to wait until next fall – it’s the 2015 model-year CLS that will come with the new autobox “in at least one engine combination,” and it’s still more than one year away.
Regarding the rest of the lineup, the same report says that the rollout will be slow, but since the new transmission is said to offer good fuel efficiency improvements its adoption does make sense.
For instance, in the diesel E-Class, in ninth gear at 74.5 mph (120 km/h), the engine spins at a mere 1,350 rpm, boosting both frugality and passenger comfort – it reportedly makes the same car some 4 dB quieter than its seven-speed box-equipped counterpart, while also offering a modest weight advantage, despite having two extra cogs.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
