More Kia Models To Get Dual-Clutch Auto From 2015: Report

Four models in the international Kia range will feature the company’s new dual-clutch automatic transmission from next year, according to fan site Kia-World.

The new seven-speed ‘DCT’ auto, revealed in Geneva earlier this year, is expected to accommodate petrol models with up to 270Nm of torque, along with diesel models offering up to 320-330Nm.

The DCT has long been expected to appear in the European Cee’d hatch and the halo Pro_Cee’d GT sports hatch (265Nm) already available in Australia in six-speed manual form.

This latest report, although citing no official comment from Kia, claims that the upcoming next-generation Optima sedan will be the next new model to pick up the advanced auto.

Kia has yet to confirm a launch date for the new Optima, although TMR’s spy photos of a production-bodied prototype suggest that a debut in the new year is likely.

The report adds that the freshly facelifted Rio light hatch will also pick up the new auto in 2015, although the Australian range has so far been confirmed with only four- and six-speed conventional torque-converter autos. Another light update in 2016 could see that change, but we likely won’t hear word on that in the immediate future.

Lastly, late in 2015, a “major makeover” for the Sportage will reportedly also bring a debut for the DCT auto, replacing the six-speed auto currently offered with the midsized SUV. This, again, has yet to be confirmed by Kia.

We can likely expect the new auto to hit more Kia models in the following year, including the Cerato range and the small Soul crossover hatch, through to the big new Sorento SUV and Carnival people-mover.

Likewise, expect the new transmission to appear in Hyundai models over the coming year.

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