citigo asg

[Stormchaser]

Mine was still pulling in 3rd at 80mph tonight and about 5500rpm

Woosh!

[Citigouk]

We must have got lucky by the post above. The ASG gearbox is a relatively easy gearbox to live with and to most would be seen as different to a normal mechanical automatic.

 

This is because the ASG is automated (different to automatic), first really seen in the SMART but also been used be Vauxhall and other brands in the past.

 

Our ASG is easy to drive, changes sensibly (ok not DSG, but its not trying to be DSG) and actually works really well with the 1.0 engine as the ratios have been sensibly engineered by VAG.

 

Ours returns in excess of 53mpg over the last 7,300miles from new and is happy to tootle around town or be on dual carriageway or even motorways.

 

Like others have said you will need to change your driving style in a way to get the most our of ASG gearbox, but surely that would make you a better driver and mean you understand the driving of your new citigo

[snapseller]

My Citigo 75 asg has done but a mere 780 or so miles but I have found the asg box has improved ,or I have become more used to it.

It is better warmed than when cold, & now behaves much like an ordinary auto box. The lag disappears if you press progressively on the throttle when it just changes up in the normal way. I can catch mine out on a local hill, before it has warmed, when it drops into 2nd, then 1st at give way junction, then has difficulty in deciding when to change up; goiung down the hill it tries to stay too long in 2nd  o/w I find it fine. I guess a lot of the compaints come from drivers who have tried it only as a demo car with few miles, or real die-hards who don't want to like it perhaps.

Comparing to a i10 is daft since the i10 has an ordinary auto box which is fine, but very uneconomic compared to the asg box in the Citigo. My old Amica with the same auto box as the i10 gave me around 40 mpg while the not run-in Citigo seems to give a real mpg of around 60 with similar useage.

[Bigredbus4468]

I drove the asg Seat Mii 75hp and it went exactly the same as our Mitsubishi Colt semi auto. It was ok but big delays in changes particularly when cold. I think the manual is much better. I drive an automatic Bus every day for a living.

[mdk1]

I have no problem with the ASG 'box, have driven one a few times, there is a knack to driving it, when you expect it to change gear, if you momentarily lift off the throttle let the box change and reapply the throttle and off you go.

I know some say why should you have to put up with it being like that, it's just the way the box has been designed to operate,

Now the only other car I have driven with that designed box was an Audi R8 GT R-Tronic. So if it's good enough for a 160k Audi....

Oh and the recommended technique to driving that was the same as what has been mentioned above.

[purplefreddy]

After 9 months and 11,000 miles we are getting rid of my wife's Citigo 75 Elegance ASG as she hates the gearbox so much. It is a shame as she loves everything else about the car. The final straw came when she was travelling up a steep hill and the car just stopped, causing the car behind to swerve to avoid hitting her !!

The good news is we pick up a new Fabia SE 1.2 TSi 110 today, on launch day, with a DSG gearbox. 

[Bigredbus4468]

Congratulations on your new purchase Freddy. I just hope it's not out of the frying pan into the fire. I don't think any manufacturer makes good auto boxes for small engined cars.

[purplefreddy]

No worries Bigredbus. Picked up new Fabia & the DSG gearbox is fantastic. You should test drive one and then you will know there is a manufacturer with a decent auto box for a small engine.

[brownfox]

My wife had a fiat panda 1.2 Eleganza dual logic or no logic as I called it, all these elastic band boxes are ok for fuel consumption, but cannot be driven like a automatic or dsg they work ok to poodle about, but there are times when they can be down right dangerous if asked for sudden acceleration say to filter into a gap on roundabouts or trying to merge lanes the only way was to select manual selection in the fiat then all was well,the car was brilliant the gearbox absolute crap. she now has a i 10 auto old fashioned gearbox maybe but it's bullet proof and gear changes are flaweless it's heavier on fuel,but in small autos nothing comes close. We had a fabia 105bhp tsi auto with DSG ,they are brilliant but not classed as a very small car. Safe driving for me trumps fuel consumption all day,but hey ho its your car your risk. City Go manuel brilliant asg forget it.

Interestingly the old nissan puke had a cvt box (rubber band box) The new nissan Puke Gismo Rs has a much revised cvt box called x something or other,I am test driving one tomorrow not for the 215bhp but to see if the have illiminated all the delay in acceleration from pedal to putting the power through the tyres. And to see if the revs correspond to the actual gear change as appossed to half an hour later. CVT Dual logic etc are a work in progress they will get there eventually.

[Bigredbus4468]

Of course the benefit of the day Citigo is out only comes with 75hp motor. I have now done about 600 miles in my SE 60hp, and I don't think I need the bigger output.

I'm sure the Fabia will be a lovely car. Enjoy.

[horkin]

Congratulations on your new purchase Freddy. I just hope it's not out of the frying pan into the fire. I don't think any manufacturer makes good auto boxes for small engined cars

 

Fantastic box the DSG. I am an old guy (passed test 1962!) and have driven so many auto boxes. None come even close to the 7 speed DSG in my 1.2 Tsi. Even My BMW 5 tiptronic.

 

It really is a great combination and fits my driving requirements perfectly.

[oldstan]

Congratulations on your new purchase Freddy. I just hope it's not out of the frying pan into the fire. I don't think any manufacturer makes good auto boxes for small engined cars.

 

 

Be honest and say how many you've driven.  Have you driven the DSG?  You surely must have done.  Have you driven the torque converter boxes in Kia/Hyundai small cars? Have you driven CVT Jazz's?

 

Is it that you consider that the DSG has too many characteristic idiosynchrasies to recommend it? Or is it the possibility of future technical problems that render it unworthy of the term "good box for a small car"?  But I can't believe that, once you'd spent a little time with it, you didn't find that it was anything other than smooth, quick acting, responsive, versatile and efficient in use. 

 

And when you drove the TC boxes as mentioned above, then surely you must have found they were a doddle to drive with imperceptible changes up and down and that the facility to engage and hold 1, 2 and 3 was useful at certain times.  (Admittedly not especially efficient in terms of mpg, but that, in and of itself, doesn't render a "bad" box.)

 

Now, I agree Honda got it wrong by introducing the i-Shift for a couple of years ...but you must agree they responded to customer comment and changed back to CVT.  Agreed, CVT isn't up everybody's street but, again, the changes are seamless and, if you're not a boy racer (and most Jazz owners aren't) then you can see why they were/are so popular.

 

And, yes, I've owned the DSG, TC and CVT boxes.

[Bigredbus4468]

Be honest and say how many you've driven.  Have you driven the DSG?  You surely must have done.  Have you driven the torque converter boxes in Kia/Hyundai small cars? Have you driven CVT Jazz's?

 

Is it that you consider that the DSG has too many characteristic idiosynchrasies to recommend it? Or is it the possibility of future technical problems that render it unworthy of the term "good box for a small car"?  But I can't believe that, once you'd spent a little time with it, you didn't find that it was anything other than smooth, quick acting, responsive, versatile and efficient in use. 

 

And when you drove the TC boxes as mentioned above, then surely you must have found they were a doddle to drive with imperceptible changes up and down and that the facility to engage and hold 1, 2 and 3 was useful at certain times.  (Admittedly not especially efficient in terms of mpg, but that, in and of itself, doesn't render a "bad" box.)

 

Now, I agree Honda got it wrong by introducing the i-Shift for a couple of years ...but you must agree they responded to customer comment and changed back to CVT.  Agreed, CVT isn't up everybody's street but, again, the changes are seamless and, if you're not a boy racer (and most Jazz owners aren't) then you can see why they were/are so popular.

 

And, yes, I've owned the DSG, TC and CVT boxes.

What it's this open season on me for giving my opinion?

I have driven the ishift Honda, Mitsubishi Colt, Vauxhall corsa , Seat mii and all suffer from being in the wrong great asset the wrong time imho.

You pay your money and take your choice. Don't try and justify your Yeti DSG on a Citigo forum

[Bigredbus4468]

Fantastic box the DSG. I am an old guy (passed test 1962!) and have driven so many auto boxes. None come even close to the 7 speed DSG in my 1.2 Tsi. Even My BMW 5 tiptronic.

 

It really is a great combination and fits my driving requirements perfectly.

Good for you. I'm very pleased for you.

[horkin]

Good for you. I'm very pleased for you.

 

Sarcasm doesn't become you

[Bigredbus4468]

I think the consensus is the Citigo auto gearbox is marmite. If we surveyed a hundred people we would get lots of opinions but it doesn't mean it is right for you.

I disagree with some of the reviews of cars by journalists but it is up to the individual to form their own opinion.

I MADE my wife trade in her beloved Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 AMT (automatic manual transmission) as it was never in the right great and returning 31-35 mpg. She hated me. Sure now loves her Renault megane 1.5 Dci manual and even says it's easier to drive. We had terrible rows for a few weeks but now I can only use HER car when we go out together.

[horkin]

I think the consensus is the Citigo auto gearbox is marmite. If we surveyed a hundred people we would get lots of opinions but it doesn't mean it is right for you.

I disagree with some of the reviews of cars by journalists but it is up to the individual to form their own opinion.

I MADE my wife trade in her beloved Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 AMT (automatic manual transmission) as it was never in the right great and returning 31-35 mpg. She hated me. Sure now loves her Renault megane 1.5 Dci manual and even says it's easier to drive. We had terrible rows for a few weeks but now I can only use HER car when we go out together.

 

 

Well the ASG may be marmite as you call it but the DSG is certainly not as neither is the fantastic 1.2 Tsi engine. The combination of DSG and the 1.2 Tsi is used throughout the VAG range and in some reasonably large vehicles such as Octavia, Yeti, Golf Estate etc and it works a treat.

The point being, put this in a small car like the Fabia and it's a wonderful combination.

 

There are of course many drivers who would never have an automatic. Forums like this have page after page of manual v auto but that's a completely different argument.

The only reason I entered this discussion is that I strongly disagree (whilst accepting you are perfectly right to voice your opinion) with your above post " I don't think any manufacturer makes good auto boxes for small cars"

[oldstan]

What it's this open season on me for giving my opinion?

I have driven the ishift Honda, Mitsubishi Colt, Vauxhall corsa , Seat mii and all suffer from being in the wrong great asset the wrong time imho.

You pay your money and take your choice. Don't try and justify your Yeti DSG on a Citigo forum

 

"What it's this open season on me for giving my opinion?"

 

But YOU can criticize ME for offering MY opinion ?  OK, as long as we know.

 

 "Don't try and justify your Yeti DSG on a Citigo forum" 

 

Is that an instruction?  Or just friendly advice  to keep my nose out of it?

 

I didn't realise I wasn't allowed to speak on the Citigo section with an opinion.....sorry about that.

[Bigredbus4468]

Well we were talking about the citigo auto box. It doesn't matter how brilliant the yeti auto box is. I'm bored with this particular thread now.

[Citigouk]

We must have got lucky by the post above. The ASG gearbox is a relatively easy gearbox to live with and to most would be seen as different to a normal mechanical automatic.

 

Our ASG is easy to drive, changes sensibly (ok not DSG, but its not trying to be DSG) and actually works really well with the 1.0 engine as the ratios have been sensibly engineered by VAG.

 

Like others have said you will need to change your driving style in a way to get the most our of ASG gearbox, but surely that would make you a better driver and mean you understand the driving of your new citigo

(ready to be flamed)

 

I do believe that the ASG gearbox technology is something which drivers have to learn to operate, bit like going from Android to iPhone...... or playstation to xbox (see im trying to on trend!), there are different characteristics which will take time. If there was just one type of gearbox on the market then it would be incredibly boring.

 

I reiterate that the ASG box and ratios suit the 1.0 engine sensibly and its never going to be a GTi or a sporty change like the current generation of DSG options provided by VAG.

 

Most drivers are used to a conventional mechanical automatic gearbox with creep modes etc.... VAG looked more to the UP/Citigo/Mii to have a lightweight option of automatic (automated) gearbox and the ASG configuration works to assist fuel economy and low maintenance long term. Something conventional automatic has always struggled with.

 

this is an interesting video which shows the potential workings of ASG box

 

I'm not expecting everyone to love the ASG box, but it is human nature to slate and reject something that you didnt like.... but would that be fair to others who have not tried it to prejudge a potential purchase.

[g6zru]

Well we were talking about the citigo auto box. It doesn't matter how brilliant the yeti auto box is. I'm bored with this particular thread now.

Why bother reading it then?

 

Fred

[brownfox]

The point is nobody buys a asg Citigo as a fast car either by acceleration or top speed,but the point is sometimes you need instant acceleration in any car to avoid certain situations that often occur whilst driving with cvt you just don't have,and you don't have the time to select the manual mode. To explain the delay the crank is spinning at a high speed but the power is not instantly deployed to the wheels. A bit like captain to bridge hard a stern, and the ship starts to move 5 minutes later. Some of these systems cvt dual logic.xtronic etc are better than others, but as I have stated some of them can leave you in dangerous situations. Try a long test drive before you buy.

[oldstan]

Brownfox... all noted and agree with the points you make.  You'll see I'm forbidden to speak about DSG, which curtails the conversation a little bit but I do happen to think it responds quickly and effectively and it's a pity they couldn't get something as good in the Citigo.  Having driven a couple of Citigo ASGs I've decided they're not for me and/or the Mrs. which is a shame as I'd probably get one - as long as I liked the auto transmission.

 

Admittedly, I'm inviting comment that the ASG is a cheap(ish) option which functions for most of the time provided that extraneous demands are not placed upon it.... and I should pay my money and take my choice and if I don't like it then don't buy it and don't keep on about it.  I realise this but still think it's a shame that it's not, apparently, possible to produce an economically viable decent auto box in the Citigo which will please the majority - as opposed to the ASG which, by all accounts, pleases only the minority..... it must be said that, for whatever reason, none of the major motoring publications or websites or commentators are happy with it and, from observations here and in dealer's showrooms, there are more detractors than there are satisfied customers.

 

I have a three and a half year old Hyundai i10 automatic, as you do yoursefl, and am always looking to see what I might replace it with, hence looking at the Citigo and reading posts here from time to time.  May I indulge the patience of the forum and ask how you get on with your i10 auto?  Mine does around 32mpg - which is poor for a small car but my view is that it's smooth, reliable and tried and tested and does the job, albeit not as efficiently in terms of mpg as more modern competitors, I'm sure. (My car had a modified o/s driveshaft to fix a vibration at 3500 rpm which only affected a small number of autos and which took a long time to diagnose but improved things a bit).

 

Always happy to read what others think of their Citigo and other models but agree with the general concensus that single clutch automated manuals aren't the perfect solution.  My CVTJazz suited us fine (shouldn't have got rid of it) and a new Jazz is always an option albeit the car is a bit bigger and dearer than would be ideal...the Citigo / i10 ia better size for what we want but I trust they will develop more efficient engines and transmissions in time.