Audi Q7 to get 8-speed auto

Audi India plans to install the eight--speed tiptronic transmission into all the Q7 variants sold in India. The biggest advantage of the eight-speed transmission is that it has a broader spread of ratios which allows the engine to run close to its ideal operating point which ensures optimum efficiency.

Audi says the new eight-speed transmission will lower the fuel consumption by about five percent. This new transmission is based on the six-speed unit with an additional friction-clutch shift element. To cut fuel consumption even further, the torque converter lockup clutch eliminates slip at even low speeds.

The eight-speed tiptronic transmission transfers engine power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive train. This splits the power in a sporty manner, with 40 percent going to the front and 60 percent to the rear wheels. But in certain on- or off-road situations, the mechanical-action center differential can direct up to 65 percent of the power to the front or up to 85 percent to the rear.

Expect the eight-speed automatic equipped Q7 to hit the Indian roads towards the end of this year.