7 Speed DSG - Leon TDi

Fr2013

Active Member
Apr 9, 2014
350
23
Hi everyone,

I have both a 2016 Ibiza FR 1.0TSI DSG and also a 2017 Leon FR 1.4EcoTSI Manual. I have quite a lot of hire cars for work and yesterday I was quite delighted when a 2017 Leon SE Dynamic Tech 1.6TDi DSG turned up!

First disappointment though was no FullLink which is something I had expected with it having exactly the same system and screen size as the Leon - had to resort to peasant Bluetooth :rofl::rofl:

Anyway, to the point! It was the DSG gearbox that I was most interested in. As I drove it throughout the day, I was so impressed at how smooth and unobtrusive it was, especially compared to my Ibiza.

I was so adament that it was the 6 speed gearbox as I hadn't initally seen it change to 7th gear. I thought this would explain it's smoothness as I've driven a few 6 speed DSG's before in VW's and they (in my opinion) are better than the 7 speeds in terms of refinement.
Low and behold I get on to some dual carriageways and discover that it's actually the 7 speed which really shocked me!
It was silky smooth through all the gears on hard acceleration (hire car, drive it like you stole it :clap:), and one major thing was NO HESITATION when slowing down below 5mph and wanting to instantly pull off again. Roundabouts were a breeze and it was just a great all round experience!

So, what gives? Have they improved the 7 speed DSG at all in the last year since my 2016 Ibiza was built or are they a different gearbox in the Leon? Maybe I should raise my issues with my dealer, does anyone else have this hesitation and pauses between hard acceleration gear changes?
 

Scrogg

Living life only a short bus ride from the edge...
Dec 31, 2017
735
238
50
It's only the 2.0 engines (petrol and diesel) that come with the 6-speed.

I don't have the technical knowledge to know the differences between the two, but my Ateca 1.4 has the 7-speed and I have no complaints or issues.
 

DEAN0

Old Git
Feb 1, 2006
5,288
300
Preston - UK
It's only the 2.0 engines (petrol and diesel) that come with the 6-speed.

I don't have the technical knowledge to know the differences between the two, but my Ateca 1.4 has the 7-speed and I have no complaints or issues.

Reading the other forums - the 7 speed is a dry clutch and can't handle the torque like the wet clutch 6 speed boxes.
 

Walone

Active Member
Feb 10, 2016
1,538
421
Near Heathrow
Hi everyone,

I have both a 2016 Ibiza FR 1.0TSI DSG and also a 2017 Leon FR 1.4EcoTSI Manual. I have quite a lot of hire cars for work and yesterday I was quite delighted when a 2017 Leon SE Dynamic Tech 1.6TDi DSG turned up!

First disappointment though was no FullLink which is something I had expected with it having exactly the same system and screen size as the Leon - had to resort to peasant Bluetooth :rofl::rofl:

Anyway, to the point! It was the DSG gearbox that I was most interested in. As I drove it throughout the day, I was so impressed at how smooth and unobtrusive it was, especially compared to my Ibiza.

I was so adament that it was the 6 speed gearbox as I hadn't initally seen it change to 7th gear. I thought this would explain it's smoothness as I've driven a few 6 speed DSG's before in VW's and they (in my opinion) are better than the 7 speeds in terms of refinement.
Low and behold I get on to some dual carriageways and discover that it's actually the 7 speed which really shocked me!
It was silky smooth through all the gears on hard acceleration (hire car, drive it like you stole it :clap:), and one major thing was NO HESITATION when slowing down below 5mph and wanting to instantly pull off again. Roundabouts were a breeze and it was just a great all round experience!

So, what gives? Have they improved the 7 speed DSG at all in the last year since my 2016 Ibiza was built or are they a different gearbox in the Leon? Maybe I should raise my issues with my dealer, does anyone else have this hesitation and pauses between hard acceleration gear changes?

I suspect it is because of having a Diesel engine.
 

Luckypants

Extra Large Member
Apr 7, 2015
177
2
N.E. Wales
I have been driving quite a lot of DSG configurations recently, test driving new cars. I have not been able to detect a difference in a DSG-6 to the DSG-7 in my 1.6TDi. The DSG-7 box used in the 4x4 variants (Ateca / Superb / Karoq) is very smooth in my opinion, best of all the ones I've tried.

I happen to think the DSG-7 box mated to the 1.6TDi suits the power delivery of the engine and gives a very smooth drive. (43K miles and still lovely to use)
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
I too have Ibiza 1.0 EcoTSI DSG. Not smooth from take off (unless u are super gentle with throttle), otherwise very refined once car is moving. Previously had Leon 2.0 TDI 150 DSG (6 speed). Damn it was a smooth transmision, power in any gear (takes off in 2nd most of the time if not completely stopped, and still shoves u into your seat). Just being a diesel engine it was fair bit noisier and rattly, but the shove in the back feeling oh my...not sure if it's same with the 1.4EcoTSI 150PS.
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
Hi everyone,

I have both a 2016 Ibiza FR 1.0TSI DSG and also a 2017 Leon FR 1.4EcoTSI Manual.
It was silky smooth through all the gears on hard acceleration (hire car, drive it like you stole it :clap:), and one major thing was NO HESITATION when slowing down below 5mph and wanting to instantly pull off again. Roundabouts were a breeze and it was just a great all round experience!

So, what gives? Have they improved the 7 speed DSG at all in the last year since my 2016 Ibiza was built or are they a different gearbox in the Leon? Maybe I should raise my issues with my dealer, does anyone else have this hesitation and pauses between hard acceleration gear changes?

I think the 1.0 and 1.2 have 1 type of gearbox, the 1.4 EcoTSI, and 1.8 have another type (also 7 speed), and Cupra has another type of DSG gearbox.
1.6TDI has a 7 speed, the 2.0 TDIs have 6 speed. As the others may have mentioned, the diesels are likely to have the 'wet' gearbox.

Comparatively speaking, my 2.0 TDI Leon was easier to control the take off from standing still, whereas the Ibiza's throttle pedal was more sensitive to take off without throwing your head back, at least for the first 3 months.

Did you mean, when you hard accelerate, and you want to change the gear up with the paddles, it seems to not doing it instantly? Or just in standard D or S mode? Yes, on my Ibiza, i press paddle, it thinks about it, then it changes if that's what you mean. I see the videos of Cupra DSGs, tap paddle, bang within a blink of an eye, next gear. Not the same on the Ibiza. But on S and D mode, it's fine.
 

Fr2013

Active Member
Apr 9, 2014
350
23
I too have Ibiza 1.0 EcoTSI DSG. Not smooth from take off (unless u are super gentle with throttle), otherwise very refined once car is moving. Previously had Leon 2.0 TDI 150 DSG (6 speed). Damn it was a smooth transmision, power in any gear (takes off in 2nd most of the time if not completely stopped, and still shoves u into your seat). Just being a diesel engine it was fair bit noisier and rattly, but the shove in the back feeling oh my...not sure if it's same with the 1.4EcoTSI 150PS.


Do you get the delay in power delivery if slowed down to 5mph or below I.e at roundabouts or pulling up to junctions and finding they're clear and trying to pull away without completely stopping?
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
Do you get the delay in power delivery if slowed down to 5mph or below I.e at roundabouts or pulling up to junctions and finding they're clear and trying to pull away without completely stopping?

Thing is, if I'm rolling into a roundabout, the car usually selects D2 as the 'optimal' gear, and with such low revs and no turbo avaliable there/then, it's still a 1.0 engine...I suspect this is the delay in power. If put to manual overide to 1st gear, I don't have this problem. With the Leon 2.0TDI, it does the same and selects 2nd gear, but with 320Nm avaliable lower down the rev range...there is less of a delay even if the pedals are less sensitive.
 
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