LISLE, Ill.— Navistar announced today that it will be first to market with the Eaton Procision line of dual-clutch transmissions for its International DuraStar medium-duty trucks.

The new transmissions deliver a significant fuel economy advantage when compared to a similarly equipped vehicle with a torque converter automatic transmission, the company claims.

“Through our partnership with Eaton, we’re offering our customers advanced technologies that provide safe and easy operation for any driver,” said Jeff Sass, Navistar senior vice-president, North America Truck Sales and Marketing. “Coupled with the reliability of our medium-duty platform, the Eaton Procision transmission delivers the uptime and efficiency our customers require in many driving environments.”

The new dual-clutch technology allows for more efficient acceleration from a stopped position and optimizes shift points that will efficiently get to the highest gear. Gear changes can be made by swapping the engine torque between clutches with the next gear preselected. The Eaton Procision also includes the Eaton Dynamic Shifting, a feature that allows the transmission to automatically switch between economy and performance shift schedules based on mass, grade and driver demand.

“Customers told us that they wanted features that made their trucks easier to drive,” said Jeff Carpenter, Eaton Medium-Duty Procision engineering manager. “So, we engineered a host of features that instill confidence and maximize efficiency for operators with routes on hilly, difficult terrain, or those who navigate tight turns and traffic as part of an urban route.”