The Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) system is a special kind of manual gearbox developed by the Volkswagen Group. It allows two sets of gears to be engaged at the same time, but thanks to a twin-clutch arrangement only one of them connects the engine to the road wheels. As one clutch is engaged and the other released, the other set of gears is brought into play.

DSG predicts whether the next gear the driver will require is one up or one down from the one currently being used. If the prediction is right, the change is extremely fast. If the prediction is wrong - for example, if the driver is accelerating hard through the gears and then suddenly brakes - there is a small delay as the system compensates, but in most driving situations it is hardly noticeable.

DSG systems are heavy, expensive and complicated, but they do have advantages. The gearchanges are smooth as well as quick, acceleration times are generally improved (because the changes are quicker than in a manual) and power losses are much lower than in an automatic.

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