Mercedes-Benz is a brand known for innovation, a cutting edge approach to technology and high-quality mechanics. The Mercedes 9G-Tronic 9-speed automatic transmission is designed to combine comfort, performance, fuel efficiency, smoothness and reliability.
The 9G-Tronic is a torque converter gearbox, but not just any torque converter as it uses an industry-first hydrodynamic torque converter. The 9G-Tronic is designed to offer an up to 10% increase in fuel efficiency which is more than welcome for any car out there.
The 9G-Tronic also comes with dedicated driving modes which are designed to accentuate different characters of the gearbox. It is also a relatively reliable gearbox, but some owners do report problems associated with the solenoid, the gearbox engaging limp mode, rough shifting and slow acceleration.
The 9G-Tronic is available in almost all newer Mercedes models. The predecessor of the 9G-Tronic was the 7G-Tronic which is still available for some newer high horsepower AMG models, especially those with a 12-cylinder engine.
Mercedes 9G-Tronic introduction
The Mercedes 9G-Tronic 9-speed automatic transmission was first introduced in the 2013 Mercedes E350 Blue Efficiency and after it was fully available with the W222 S-Class it also became a standard for the entire Mercedes lineup.
The 9G-Tronic builds on the same platform on which the 7G-Tronic is based, but the 9G-Tronic offers more impressive solutions in order to provide an even smoother and more efficient driving experience. The gearbox is designed to always keep the engine in the lower rev range and that is how it manages to offer up to 10% better fuel efficiency compared to the 7G-Tronic.
The 9G-Tronic is available as either a torque converter or as the MCT multi-clutch unit which is basically the regular 9G, but without the torque converter. The MCT is designed with a wet clutch and the computer is designed to support a double-clutch feature.
The MCT 9G-Tronic is available for the higher-end AMG 63 models in order to decrease shifting times and make the car as fast as possible.
Mercedes 9G-Tronic – How does compare against the 7G-Tronic?
As mentioned in the beginning, the 9G-Tronic is the successor to the famed Mercedes 7G-Tronic 7-speed gearbox, but the 9G-Tronic promises a plethora of improvements over the 7G-Tronic box. The 2013 Mercedes E350 Blue Efficiency was the first model to introduce the 9G, and the improvements the 9G offers are the most obvious with the 2013 E350.
Even though the 0-60MPH times have stayed the same at 6.6 seconds, the E350 BE offers a better fuel consumption result at 53.3MPG compared to the 51.4MPG of the 7G-Tronic model. The 7G-Tronic E350 emits 144g of C02 per 100km while the E350 BE emits 138g of CO2 per 100km.
The fuel consumption improvements are even more visible in city driving where the E350 BE benefits from a 44.1MPG result as opposed to the 7-speed E350 which returns up to 40.9MPG. The 9G-Tronic is available with both RWD and AWD models, hybrids, diesel and petrol-powered engines.
The 9G-Tronic also feels more cohesive and smoother when compared to the older 7G-Tronic, especially on large and heavy Mercedes models.
Mercedes 9G-Tronic reliability and common issues
The Mercedes 9G-Tronic is a fairly reliable gearbox, but there are a few issues worth mentioning. The 9G-Tronic is known to sometimes experience rough shifts, especially from neutral to 1st gear or from 1st to 2nd gear. It is also sometimes known to be a tad bit slow to respond, especially when the car is cold.
The 9G-Tronic seems to sometimes have issues with the solenoid which puts the car into limp mode in order not to damage any other vital gearbox components.
More about 9g-Tronic problems.
Mercedes 9G-Tronic service schedules
The Mercedes 9G-Tronic gearbox is an intricate piece of precision engineering that needs constant maintenance in order to function properly. If you fail to do your maintenance accordingly, you are likely going to experience all sorts of issues with the gearbox.
As such, be sure to service your 9G-Tronic gearbox every 75,000 on average, or every 5 years, whichever comes first. A regular Mercedes 9G-Tronic service consists out of replacing the automatic gearbox oil and filter. However, if the dealership or the mechanic deems that something else needs doing, be sure to do it to avoid any potential mishaps down the line.
FAQ Section
How good is the Mercedes Benz 9G-Tronic transmission?
The Mercedes 9G-Tronic gearbox is one of the best luxury car gearbox options on the market right now thanks to its impressive efficiency results and thanks to its smoothness of operation. It may not be the fastest gearbox out there because it is not a dual-clutch unit, even so, hardly anyone would disagree that the 9G is nothing short of impressive.
In almost every category the 9G-Tronic offers significant upgrades over the 7G-Tronic. The only place where the 7G-Tronic still offers more is the maximum torque it can take. That is why some newer Mercedes 12-cylinder engines and large diesel engines still utilize the 7G-Tronic.
What is the difference between the 9G-Tronic TCT and 9G-Tronic MCT gearbox?
The 9G-Tronic TCT refers to the torque converter that uses a hydrodynamic torque converter in which fluids replace the clutch. The 9G-Tronic MCT refers to the multi-clutch system found in the range-topping AMG 63 models where customers prefer shifting times, acceleration and excitement over smoothness, efficiency and durability.
As such, the MCT 9G-Tronic gearboxes are designed to be responsive first. This also means that they offer launch control and are a lot more forceful while shifting gears. All in all, the MCT gearbox is the closest thing to a dual-clutch gearbox Mercedes currently offers for their larger, more powerful AMG models.
What driving modes does the 9G-Tronic have?
The 9G-Tronic gearboxes come with three different driving modes, Eco, Dynamic and Manual where you can take full control over the shifting process by using the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The MCT 9G-Tronic comes with four different driving modes Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Manual.
These driving modes are designed to maximize specific benefits the 9G-Tronic offers depending on the driving environment. This means that the 9G-Tronic is able to alter its character depending on what you want from it.
