Things the Italians do well

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
09/28/2015 at 16:18 • Filed to: Fiat, 500, Dualogic

Automated manual transmissions.

Yes, really. I’m in Italy for a week and I have a 500 to which is attached a Dualogic box like this. In fact just like this:

People hate these, especially when they’ve never driven one. This is the fourth type I’ve driven and like the others it’s fine and that despite being trialled in America to widespread loathing, so much so that Mexican built 500s have a slushbox instead.

I’ve never had any need to use the manual mode as the two automatic modes suit me just fine. Press the button marked E and it’ll change up early and tend to stay there, push it again and the box will change down with more enthusiasm. When you brake or go down a steep hill it’ll change down with the aid of a perfectly timed blip of the throttle and having changed down it will hold the new gear rather than change up again too soon. You notice the pauses between changes but no more so than in a manual.

It’s been using fuel at this rate (do your own conversions) which is very good for a petrol car.

So there you have it. A thing everyone loves to hate works rather well.

DISCUSSION (14)

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Cé hé sin
09/28/2015 at 16:28

They all tend to work well these days, but people hate them because they gotta prove their enthusiast cred.

Hermann > Cé hé sin
09/28/2015 at 16:28

I’ve never driven a 500 with the Dualogic. But all other Fiats that I’ve driven that had it were awful (Uno, Palio, Punto, Bravo and *shudders* Stilo). The gear changes feel as if someone who has learned how to drive stick yesterday is doing the changes for you.

It gets confused when it needs a downshift, takes forever to do it, doesn’t rev match and when it upshifts it feels like when you just dump the clutch and it kicks you forward.

Interesting to hear the 500 isn’t like that, then.