Automated transmissions never convinced Brazilians

Problems in the automated gearboxes with one or two clutches created an aversion, which forced manufacturers to bet on the well-known automatic

Automated transmissions such as Dualogic, GSR, iMotion, Easytronic or PowerShift have never worked in Brazil (Photo: Fiat | Disclosure)
By Boris Feldman
Published on 2026-04-02 at 06:00 PM
Updated on 2026-04-02 at 06:30 PM

The automatic transmission for decades was of the conventional type, with a torque converter instead of the clutch. Or there was also the option of the CVT, continuously variable, with infinite gears.

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Until electronics arrived to subvert this order and brought the computerized automatic with one or two clutches. The automated transmission of a clutch never worked here in Brazil, it was called Dualogic or GSR at Fiat, iMotion at Volkswagen, Easytronic at GM and so on.

None worked, but there was also the two-clutch clutch, which generated less rejection in general. One of them was a disaster, Ford’s PowerShift, while the other, Volkswagen, Hyundai’s DSG and other brands’ DSG, works well. Still, most factories went back and adopted the traditional automatic transmission with torque converter.

Boris Feldman

Journalist and engineer with 50 years of experience in the automotive press. Led newspaper and television teams and hosts the AutoPapo program on radio stations across the country.

Boris Feldman
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