OMG ... just when I was thinking the GM-led 9-speed was only pretend...
2017 Malibu Premier Debuts New Jointly Developed 9-Speed Transmission
GMinsideNews
by Michael Accardi May 12, 2016

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Since 2013 we’ve known that GM and Ford had teamed up to develop 10-speed longitudinal and 9-speed transverse transmissions.

While many keystrokes have been shed over the 10-speed debuting in the ZL1 Camaro and the Ford F-150 Raptor, little has been written about the 9-speed.

We still don’t know much about the gearbox itself, however we can tell you the 2017 Malibu Premier will be the first vehicle from either company to use the new 9-speed box.

The lone technical tidbit is the final drive ratio, going from the 8-speed (MRC) to the 9-speed (M3E) changes the final drive axle ratio from 3.08 to 2.89.

L, LS and LT trims will continue to use a 6-speed automatic.

GMi thread // history

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So Ford should be making it an option on the 2018 Fusion and MKZ? GM is late with their 2017 model year launch compared to Ford.

The new 2017 EPA testing took 2mpg from the 2017 Fusion, so expect Ford to launch the 9-speed to bring the mpg back up to remain competitive.

Ford and Lincoln have so much going on these days.

I saw one on the road this week, and it just didn't impress me. I liked some of the original pictures, but real-life seems to be too bland and 'lost in the crowd'. I'm not digging Chevy's face either.

^ I haven't seen a New-Bu on the road yet but
at our autoshow-let, liked it better than pix cuz many of it s MANY lines disappeared in person - or at least weren't noticeable (so why bother?),
the face - of All(?) Chevys - well guess I've gotten conditioned to block them out


&
I'm really REALLY wondering about the Conti now = if the 9-speed is actually (almost)ready

Totally agree; the Continental would be a great platform to start with. If it can be successfully mated to the new 3.0 Turbo, it might really make for some surprising numbers.

Maybe this is why the 3.0T MKZ and Continental are "Late 2016" Availability

just saw:

Posted Today, 01:31 PM
"I've heard that there are some component durability concerns with this unit... I don't know that I'd be rolling it out in a case that they desperately want to regain share in the midsized market."

General Motors has issued a sales halt for nearly 60,000 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave crossovers sitting in dealer inventory.

The action is not related to a defect, but rather a misleading fuel-efficiency sticker attached to each 2016 vehicle. The labels are said to show ratings "1-2 mpg higher than it should have been," according to a dealer memo cited by Automotive News.

"GM is stopping sale of the affected models until a corrected label is printed and affixed," dealers were told.

The automaker has blamed an inadvertent "data transmission" error that led to incorrect figures on both front- and all-wheel drive variants. The FWD crossovers should show city/highway ratings of 15/22 mpg, however the window stickers currently list 17/24 mpg.

The botched labels shed light on an unexplained downgrade in the crossovers' mpg ratings from the 2015 to 2016 model year. All are equipped by the same 3.6-liter V6 and six-speed automatic transmission, but the rating mysteriously dropped from 17/24 mpg in 2015 to 15/22 mpg for 2016. The AWD variants followed the same trend, falling from 16/23 mpg to 15/22 mpg."

Read more: http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-halts...#ixzz48aELPMsh

^....'error"??? I think not! GM was just trying to work a loophole around the new 2017 EPA rules, by double launching 2016 models trying to stay with old EPA rules, when one should have been a 2017 model. Another example is the Malibu. Old Malibu is a 2016 model, along with the New model being a 2016 model. We should hear about that model being added to the list soon.

Unless improvements are made, mpg will drop 2mpg combined. 2017 Fusion 1.5 and 2.0 already took a hit. 2017 Fusion AWD lost 2mpg combined, so I expect the 9-speed transmission necessary to resolve this hit to the Fusion's efficiency status.

I put this article here because it will be the new 9-speed transmission that can possibly regain maybe 1 mpg going from 8-speed to 9-speed. But Fusion should get the biggest gain going from the 6-speed to the 9-speed.

"The botched labels shed light on an unexplained downgrade in the crossovers' mpg ratings from the 2015 to 2016 model year. All are equipped by the same 3.6-liter V6 and six-speed automatic transmission, but the rating mysteriously dropped from 17/24 mpg in 2015 to 15/22 mpg for 2016. The AWD variants followed the same trend, falling from 16/23 mpg to 15/22 mpg."

What seems to be happening is that the EPA 'model year' schedule is not the calendar year or the model year the automaker assigns when launching the vehicle, but the timeframe the vehicle is sold before a new model year is launched based on the automakers launch cycle. GM has a late model year launch schedule, which has them selling a previous model year well into the next model year. Which means the 2016MY Traverse launched late, and scheduled to roll well into what should be MY2017 based on EPA schedules.

Ford on the other hand has early launch dates, which is why the Escape(for sale April 2016), down 2mpg combined 2WD and AWD, is already following the new EPA rules, and needs the new 9-speed.