Abstract
The changes in traffic conditions and the growing vehicle equipment increase the expectations of the driver in terms of comfort and task delegation. The sequential automatic transmissions appear to be an adequate response, as long as certain rules are respected:
· pertinence of the gear-change setting conditions with respect to the immediate needs,
· comfort during the transition as a result of decisions taken without the knowledge of the driver.
With this aim in view, the conception originates from the customer requirements, leading to the technical solutions to be implemented. This approach has allowed PSA to target its product offer to the needs of the European market, which is still culturally attached to the manual gearbox.