AUDI'S hi-tech new Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) has been launched in the UK with the company claiming the biggest advance in technology for nearly 100 years.

Promising drivers the smoothness of an automatic transmission with none of the fuel economy compromises, the DSG will first hit the road in the new Audi TT 3.2 V6, but will follow with a model in the A3 range.

The gearbox has a 'double clutch' and manual gearchanges take 0.02 seconds, but can also operate in a fully automatic mode with no fuel consumption penalty.