All about the Innovative Ford PowerShift 6-Speed Automatic Transmission

If Ford ran their performance development department like many other tech companies, they would have stopped trying to innovate many years ago after they captured the reputation as North America’s most trusted automaker.

But Ford isn’t satisfied with letting up, even in when it rides ahead of the pack. The new PowerShift 6-Speed Automatic transmission is just the latest of the many exciting advances from Ford.

The World Tour Comes Back Home

The PowerShift is big in Japan. It’s already taken Europe by storm. These two markets have traditionally loved manual transmissions, for both the smooth-shifting feel and greater fuel economy. Now the system is making a resounding first impression in North America.

The PowerShift transmission is currently available for both the 2015 Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus.

Two Manuals Combine to Make an Automatic

We’ll leave it to the accompanying video to explain the PowerShift in greater technical detail, but we’ll start with a short explanation.

The PowerShift 6-Speed Automatic Transmission is the result of two parallel manual transmissions working in tandem, combining through a dual-clutch mechanism to create the same effects as an automatic transmission. The result is a design that manages shifts between two gear sets, providing the feel and efficiency of a manual transmission, engine torque delivered at all times, and the ease of use as a manual transmission.

The Look of Innovation

So what does the shift column look like in the paradox of engineering, a self-shifting but manual transmission? It looks just like your basic automatic transmission, from Park and reverse, down to Drive. However, there is a little button toggle on the knob, thumb-side, allowing you to take greater control of your drive as you feel the need, ideal for navigating hills.

Watch the following insiders video from Ford, explaining the new PowerShift transmission in more detail.