2012 Dodge Charger, 2012 Chrysler 300 first to get 8-speed transmission

2011 Dodge Charger

I’ve always wondered why some Chrysler vehicles were stuck in the past with 5-gear transmissions – well, today Chrysler Group LLC announced that it will be introducing a new 8-speed automatic transmission that will be introduced and licensed through ZF.

The transmission, which is usually found on high-end luxury cars including Audi, Bentley, BMW, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce, will now be available on select models of the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Charger for the 2012 model year.

Chrysler says that the new 8-speed transmission will help both model achieve an EPA-rated 31 mpg on the highway – an increase of 4 mpg. Initially, the 8-speed transmission will be mated exclusively to the 3.6 liter V6 Pentastar engine that was introduced last year. Chrysler may offer it on V8 models in the future.

Chrysler will start off buying the 8-speed automatic from ZF until it kicks off production at its Kokomo transmission facility under license by the German-based company.

– By: Omar Rana