Annoying DSG characteristic

[serdar_18fr]

Hi everyone,

While I'm very happy with my Cupra Ateca 1.5 since I got it brand-new in December 2024, there's one thing that keeps annoying me.
As I said it's an Ateca but I'm pretty sure there are other models suffering from the same DSG behaviour, that's why I chose to post in general discussion section.

I'll try to explain my annoyance by telling about a part of my daily route, but it happens in a lot of other situations as well.
There's a gentle downhill, and then a left-turn, almost like a U-turn, then a gentle uphill.
As the section after the turn is not visible, I lift off before I arrived at the turn, car decelerates and loses some of its momentum.
Right after the turn at the start of uphill, I push the throttle a little to gain momentum again and keep a steady acceleration.
But there seems to be an area, like a very thin line, in the throttle and if I pass that line a very very very tiny bit, our infamous gearbox decides that I want some kind of spirited drive and makes a downshift, which is one I could live without, and that causes a sudden attack forward and obviously a loud revving of the engine, while all I want at that point is to keep a not-so-fast but smooth and steady acceleration, in the current gear. This misinterpretation of the driver request annoys me too much everytime it happens and I consider switching to manual mode. But then I ask myself, why did I buy an automatic? To switch to manual several times each day? To have to think about all the time how it would behave in a specific situation? I was very happy with manual gearboxes in my previous motoring of 30-plus years and those never disappointed me like this.

There seems to be some DSG remapping services that might help, but I don't think I'll ever let anybody touch it, other than the service guys at the dealer when the time comes to replace worn clutches.

Anyway, I'd be happy to hear your experiences and of course affirming or objecting opinions.

Cheers,
Serdar

 

[Bahnstormer_vRS]

I've been driving DSG powered cars since 2011.

Generally they are excellent, but there's always going to be the odd occasion when the combination of gearbox programming, power & torque from the engine, road conditions and driver preference, it gets caught out. It's just unfortunate that that occasion, for you, is on a frequently travelled piece of road.

The basic issue is that a DSG is unable to predict what the requirements on it are, only react. By which time it's got it's knickers in a twist.

Simple solution for that specific piece of road will be to either go manual or into Sport, reverting to Drive after.

As an example; for me there's a point on a route I take from time to time where the exit from a roundabout goes into an uphill slip road onto a Motorway. Left to it's own device the DSG is in a high gear around the roundabout, and stays in that gear on the slip road unless I press the throttle pedal harder than I want to.

Solution? On the exit I change down one gear, conveniently using paddle shirt, and am then able to accelerate up the slip road in a controlled fashion.

Food for thought.

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S25 Ultra using Tapatalk

 

[SRGTD]

@Bahnstormer_vRS - when I owned my Polo GTI+ with DSG, I would pretty much always use the flappy steering wheel paddles and change gears manually when entering and exiting a roundabout.

I agree the DSG is generally excellent and a clever piece of kit. However, it’s only as good as the software program controlling it and IMHO there’ll be the odd occasion when it’s better for the driver to take control.

 

[Bahnstormer_vRS]

^^^^

. . . .and mostly that programming is lazy for fuel economy; notwithstanding it will learn and adapt to the driver's style of driving.

Guy

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[serdar_18fr]

@Bahnstormer_vRS @SRGTD

Thanks for sharing your takes on this.

 

[Tell]

Mines a DQ3xx whatever on a 2 litre TDI. I think the 1.5 litre TSI is matched to what was the infamous DQ200. That on the 1litre Arona works fine. As said above the DQ reacts to what it senses you want. I've been driving with DQ gear boxes since 2004, coming up to 10 years with the Ateca. I never use the paddles and drive in normal mode. They can get in a bit of a tiss if you change your mind (people not indicating at roundabout so you have to break and start off again), less noticeable in the Ateca against the old Altea DSG I had that would get it's kickers in a twist to quote above, taking a while to decide what you want. Reckon they have a faster processor these days so sort themselves out better.

The only thing I notice is when the diesel is doing a regeneration, so you are aware the gearing has changed and its revving more. Then you eyeball what gear it's in. I dont have flat spots in my tdi 2.0 and the 3 cylinder Atona 1 litre DSG TSI there are no complaints about it. It takes sporty hilly driving well .

I did use to down shift by hand once a year or twice a year going down the banks of the Mossel in Trier on holiday, else without doing that the Altea would run away, little engine braking, the Ateca is better at that. It just did it's thing. So yes, paddles and using the shift to change gear I dont do. All automatic.

 

[serdar_18fr]

I think the 1.5 litre TSI is matched to what was the infamous DQ200. That on the 1litre Arona works fine. As said above the DQ reacts to what it senses you want.

Problem is that it gets that wrong. There should be an area in the throttle movement that provides slow but smooth acceleration without needing to shift down, but there isn't.

 

[Bahnstormer_vRS]

Problem is that it gets that wrong. There should be an area in the throttle movement that provides slow but smooth acceleration without needing to shift down, but there isn't.

An oblique thought / solution.

Get a remap to give you more torque.

:escape:


Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S25 Ultra using Tapatalk

 

[serdar_18fr]

An oblique thought / solution.
Get a remap to give you more torque.

I never liked the idea of messing with the engine or gearbox software but if I get to a point where one day I would feel like saying "that's enough!", then I might break my own rule and get a remap.

 

[James_R]

You could try a pedal box that alters throttle response? It shouldn't damage anything or impact your warranty.

The 1.5 TSI has been mostly coupled with the DQ381 gearbox for a number of years now.

 

[serdar_18fr]

You could try a pedal box that alters throttle response? It shouldn't damage anything or impact your warranty.

The 1.5 TSI has been mostly coupled with the DQ381 gearbox for a number of years now.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll be looking into it.

As for the DQ381, it was never offered on Atecas with 1.5 TSI unfortunately.

 

[James_R]

As for the DQ381, it was never offered on Atecas with 1.5 TSI ununfortunately.

You're absolutely right, I just had a look at a 2026 FR with the 1.5 and it does indeed have the latest incarnation of DQ200 fitted.
Seems strange that the Golfs, Formentors and other similar vehicles with the 1.5 have the DQ381. Every day's a school day

 

[Tell]

It's the DQ200 that the Telegraph's Honest John had it in for. 1.0 it was fine, above he'd get letters of complaint. I had to straighten him out once when he rubbished all DQ200s. I said, no you said they were fine with 1.0 TSI. He replied with an apology .

1.4 / 1.5 have got that 3 / 4 cylinder thing that had some early issues. 1.5 more so. Some people moaned at the Ateca launch why couldn't they have the 1.5, but then there were issues so the 1.4 was probably a blessing then.

I'd have to Google a pedal box . So yes one did research the 1.0 TSI and the DQ200 at the time. Putting it on an engine above 1.0 was more problematic... well according to Honest John's letter pages. People did like the the cyclinder being shut down on 1.4 litre TSIs, but get 1.0 and it's always shut down.