What type of transmission does the Tiguan have?
3 Answers
Tiguan is equipped with two types of transmissions: a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission and a 6-speed AT transmission. The AT transmission, also known as a hydraulic automatic transmission, achieves automatic shifting through a combination of hydraulic transmission and planetary gears. It generally consists of components such as a torque converter, planetary gear mechanism, shift actuators, shift control system, and shift operation mechanism. In terms of interior design, the Tiguan features a combination of stable black and warm beige. As for configurations, it includes an ESP body stability system, EBD electronic brake force distribution, and ASR traction control. In terms of body dimensions, the Tiguan measures 4506mm in length, 1809mm in width, and 1685mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2684mm.
Last time I repaired the Touareg transmission, I noticed a pattern. The older 1.8T models were equipped with the Aisin TF60 six-speed automatic transmission with a cast iron housing, which is commonly seen in the used car market now. After the 2017 model change, most came with the DQ380 seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. I worked on one last year that had a mechatronic unit failure right after the warranty expired—when we opened it up, it was full of oil stains. To point out the differences, the 6AT is like an old ox—durable but shifts a beat slower, while the dual-clutch downshifts lightning fast but is prone to overheating, especially in stop-and-go city traffic. One owner said it felt like being kicked in the rear with jerky shifts when crawling in traffic.
I've been driving this third-gen Tiguan 330TSI for three years, and the transmission is quite interesting. When the dashboard shows D gear, gently flicking the paddle shifters temporarily switches to manual mode, which works exceptionally well on mountain roads. Once on Siming Mountain tackling a hairpin turn, the crisp 'click-click' sound when downshifting two gears right before entering the bend was particularly satisfying. However, after the auto start-stop shuts off the engine, the clutch engagement always feels a tad slow when starting again—turning off the auto hold in the infotainment system actually made it much smoother. Switching to S mode during traffic jams also helps reduce jerking, though at the cost of noticeably higher fuel consumption.
