VW Starts Production of Its New Manual Transmission

While some automakers actively exclude manual transmissions from their line-up, others, like Volkswagen still believe in viability of stick shifter and even invest in new products. The German auto giant Volkswagen has recently started production of its new manual transmission named MQ281. This new solution is assumed to increase the powertrain effectiveness and to reduce CO2 emissions.

According to VW representatives, the new solution ensures the CO2 emission reduction to 5 grams per km, depending on the type and size of the engine with which this gear shifting unit will be paired. The MQ281 unit is capable of transmitting up to 340 Nm of torque. It is claimed that the new 6-speed manual transmission will gradually replace MQ250 and MQ350 solutions, which are still installed on numerous VW models for the European market. In addition, the new product has bearings with reduced friction coefficient and a high gear spread equal to 7.89 (the ratio of the largest gear ratio to the smallest one). The first car to receive the MQ281 unit will be the latest VW Passat model. Later, this solution will be available for other brands (Audi, Seat, Skoda) of VW.

Check out how the new MQ281 is produced

One of the main peculiarities of the MQ281 unit is the new oil supply system, which ensures uniform lubrication of gears and bearings. Thanks to this system, the amount of fluid required for the entire service life of the transmission was reduced to 1,5 liters. The new housing of the MQ281 unit complies with the latest requirements on sound damping and reduces the level of vibrations. VW plans to produce the new product, as many other car components, independently while the assembly will be assigned to SEAT Components at two plants in Spain and Argentina. VW plans to produce approximately 450,000 of MQ281 units annually.

SEAT team in Spain

It is also interesting to point out that manual and automatic gear shifting units as well as internal-combustion engines have clouded prospects in VW’s plans for the future. At the end of last year, VW announced that the last family of the company’s IC-engines will be presented in 2026. After that, the company plans to shift to complete electrification of its products.