#8-speedAutomatic

The venerable Range Rover has been given a few upgrades for 2011, including an all-new 4.4L diesel engine displacing 309 bhp and getting 30.1 mpg. The new diesel is also coupled to an 8-speed automatic, which should filter down to the rest of the lineup soon. The new Range also gets a rotary knob similar to Jaguar’s, rather than a traditional gear selector.

Chrysler will build a licensed version of a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox at their Indiana transmission plant. Production is expected to start in 2013, and retain roughly 1,200 jobs.

With up to 70% of its sales volume expected to comprise of automatic transmission cars, Audi is hoping to get a leg up on the plebian 6-speed and 7-speed auto boxes offered by its German rivals by introducing an 8-speed automatic in the A4, A5 and Q5 equipped with the 2.0TFSI four-cylinder engine. The 8-speed is no bigger or heavier than the outgoing 6-speed tiptronic, but promises better fuel economy and quicker downshifts.

Hyundai‘s new Accent was the star of the companies exhibit at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, but the debut of two new engines and a new automatic transmission will have broader implications for the rest of the company’s lineup.