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Volkswagen announced last week it would recall nearly 385, 000 cars in China after the CCTV program questioned the safety of the direct shift gearbox in some Volkswagen models.
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Over the weekend, Volkswagen and its Chinese joint ventures said they would voluntarily recall cars suspected of having substandard direct-shift gearbox systems, though they didn't specify the number.
WSJ: Gearbox Problem Prompts Volkswagen to Recall 384,181 Vehicles Sold in China
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In a program held late Friday in honor of World Consumer Rights Day, CCTV accused Volkswagen of selling cars with substandard direct-shift gearbox systems, causing acceleration problems and car accidents for an unspecified number of consumers.
WSJ: Gearbox Problem Prompts Volkswagen to Recall 384,181 Vehicles Sold in China
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This gearbox includes a sport mode for slightly more aggressive shift points, along with a manual shift mode, which in the Supercharged version can be engaged via either the gear selector or steering wheel-mounted paddles.
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The new automatic gearbox will also blip the throttle on downshifts (in manual mode), reducing shift shock that can unsettle the car in hard cornering.
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So, even though no actual gears are being changed, using the paddle-shift modulates the torque to provide the jolts of acceleration and deceleration that would happen if there were a real gearbox.
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