Dacia has released further details about its first-ever automated manual transmission. Offered with the TCe 90 engine on the Logan, Logan MCV, Sandero and Sandero Stepway, the five-speed Easy-R automated manual gearbox is said to provide the convenience of a manual gearbox without a clutch pedal.
Before the end of the year, the Logan, Logan MCV, Sandero and Sandero Stepway will all be available with the new Easy-R automated manual transmission, which Dacia says will be offered “at an affordable price.”
The combined fuel economy rating for TCe 90 Easy-R versions is 4.9 l/100km (57.6 mpg UK or 48 mpg US), equivalent to CO2 emissions of 109 g/km (for Sandero, Logan and Logan MCV). The Sandero Stepway emits 115 g/km CO2. These figures are identical to those of a manual gearbox.
The Easy-R transmission is fitted with computer-controlled electromechanical actuators that perform a surrogate role for the driver, declutching, changing gear and then re-engaging the clutch. The gearbox has two operational modes: ‘Drive’ (automatic) and ‘Manual’ (impulse shift).
In ‘Drive’ mode, the driver is freed from certain actions (disengagement/re-engagement of the clutch and gear selection), with the transmission choosing the best compromise between fuel economy and acceleration. In ‘Manual’ mode, the driver decides when to select and change gears. To select this mode, the driver must move the lever to the ‘M’ position and choose ‘+’or ‘–’ to shift up or down a gear.