VW to Make New 6-Speed Transmission in Spain

Volkswagen AG’s SEAT Componentes plant in Martorell, Spain, will build the company’s new 6-speed manual transmission starting in 2019 with a forecasted annual capacity of 450,000 units.

The MQ281 transmission will be used in a variety of VW Group vehicles built on the company’s modular MQB platform. The first vehicle to get the new 6-speed will be the Passat midsize car.

SEAT Componentes currently makes 650,000 transmissions per year. Annual output is expected to increase to full capacity of 800,000 units with the addition of the MQ281 transmission. New equipment and assembly lines will be installed to prepare the 38-year-old facility for the 6-speed gearbox.

VW also has four transmission plants in China, two in the Czech Republic and one each in Argentina and Germany.