New PowerShift Transmission for Fiesta and Focus 
As the prices for gasoline keep rising, auto makers, especially the ones in the US, try their best to advertise every piece of technology that goes into their vehicles as a fuel saver. In Ford's case, today's fuel saving tech is called the new dual dry-clutch Ford PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission.
Launched on the Fiesta and soon on the Focus models, the transmission, working in conjunction with all the other eco-friendly features is said to help both vehicles achieve a fuel economy rating of about 40 mpg (5.8l/100 km).
The transmission itself is made of two manual transmissions working in parallel. Each of them has its own independent clutch, controlled with the help of a computer which shifts the gears through fast-acting electromechanical actuators.
“The Ford PowerShift transmission is a technological leap over the competition,” said Piero Aversa, PowerShift engineering manager. “Now that it’s available in the new Focus as well as Fiesta, PowerShift gives us two great small cars that not only lead in fuel economy, but are more fun to drive as well.”
Launched on the Fiesta and soon on the Focus models, the transmission, working in conjunction with all the other eco-friendly features is said to help both vehicles achieve a fuel economy rating of about 40 mpg (5.8l/100 km).
The transmission itself is made of two manual transmissions working in parallel. Each of them has its own independent clutch, controlled with the help of a computer which shifts the gears through fast-acting electromechanical actuators.
- The PowerShift comes with an array of features which Ford hopes will make it a popular choice among those planning to buy a new car:
- Torque Hole Fill: eliminates the slight hesitation drivers feel during acceleration when the transmission upshifts into a higher gear
- Hill Start Assist: sensors detect the cars are on a slope of 5 degrees or more and automatically prevents the car from rolling backward in the instant when the driver moves the foot from the brake to the accelerator
- Neutral idle: eliminates the drag a traditional hydraulic transmission puts on the engine when a vehicle is idling
- Reduced weight: PowerShift weighs 30 pounds less than the four-speed automatic transmission in the 2011 Focus
“The Ford PowerShift transmission is a technological leap over the competition,” said Piero Aversa, PowerShift engineering manager. “Now that it’s available in the new Focus as well as Fiesta, PowerShift gives us two great small cars that not only lead in fuel economy, but are more fun to drive as well.”
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