2020 Symbol

Looking for feedback or comments on Fiat Automatic Gearbox.
Peter C

Do you mean the new TC Auto or the previous automated manual box?

The new TC Auto

As far as I can see the new gearbox is featured on Fiat vans only, not Peugeot. Not sure where that would leave AS. Also the web suggests the gearbox is the ZF 9 speed with torque converter. It should be good but it may be a case if wait and see. The way the engine and gearbox are mapped together makes a difference. Let them experiment a bit first.

AS only use Fiat when auto box is required. Peugeot do not offer auto boxes.

when i was dropping my van off for its annual damp check i was offered a new 2020 Auto to try out...
as it was valued at around £160k i was pretty careful and kept away from the town centre, but it was an easy drive, very smooth but needed a good prod of the accelerator to negotiate roundabouts.
my father has an auto an i find the same thing with his MPV.
i guess its just a slightly different driving style which one would soon get used to....but on the whole, smooth, quiet and very pleasant...
and i didnt ding the van!

I have a Mercedes Automatic but I was cònsidering downsizing, and have had a Symbol a while ago, but having had an automatic and my car being automatic I was just trying to get opinions of the new Fiat automatic in other autosleeper motorhomes.

Lucy, i dont think it matters that i was driving a non AS, twas only the gearbox i was commenting on...
it will be the same box used in the smallest PVC right through to a 5 to Twin Axle job...

Lucyc1937 wrote:I have a Mercedes Automatic but I was cònsidering downsizing, and have had a Symbol a while ago, but having had an automatic and my car being automatic I was just trying to get opinions of the new Fiat automatic in other autosleeper motorhomes.

I suspect the new auto box hasn’t yet been around long enough for many opinions to have been formed. Have you tried looking at reviews of the base vehicle? It doesn’t matter at all whether it has a MH built on the back or is a tipper truck.

Looking at the techie stuff, there’s nothing that suggests to me that the new 9 speed TC box should be anything other than good. In fact, I read somewhere that one person considered the gearbox to be the best thing on the vehicle. 

I'm sure there was a review of the new AS automatic gearbox only range that Marquis are marketing in last months What Motorhome (it was free with MMM). I didn't spend much time reading it but the review of the new gearbox was glowing.

Logic Lee, who works on auto gearboxes and contributes to Caravantalk, speaks highly of that particular box.

Hi Lucyc1937 - I had a Merc like you - the autobox was great making it a lovely driving experience. I’m interested too in the new 9 speed Fiat auto ( had one of their previous robotic comfort matic boxes & wasn’t keen on it). I did a bit of reading on the new 9 speed ZF make box on other forums- it seems it’s been around for 5 or so years mainly in Jeeps in USA & some Range Rovers. In the Jeep they had a lot of trouble with it in early days but believe these problems have been ironed out now. I’m keen on having one as my car is a Skoda DSG & once you’ve driven autos it makes driving much more pleasant & seems to make progress much easier (my opinion- others may feel different).

It seems Fiat are using the ZF 9HP transmission.
You will need to take a test drive and make sure your happy with the shift speed and noise of operation. I expect you will be but some have complained.

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