The new GM 10-speed automatic transmission is now either standard or an option on GM’s full-size SUVs. In these applications, the new 10-speed is known as the Hydra-Matic 10L80 and is assigned GM RPO code MF6.
Developed in partnership with Ford, the gearbox represents an all-new design and features a rather wide 7.39 overall gear ratio spread, enabling the 6.2-liter L86 V8 EcoTec3 engine with which it’s normally paired to deliver a more immediate feeling of power, performance, and smoothness.
The new transmission has a host of advantages over the 6-speed it replaced in the Tahoe/Suburban as well as the (universally-loathed) 8-speed it replaced in the Yukon Denali and Escalade. So, here are its top ten benefits of the transmission, as per GM.
1. Improved Efficiency
With the wider overall ratio spread, GM’s new 10-speed unit enables a lower numerical top gear ratio, which results in reduced engine speed on the highway and greater overall efficiency.
2. Quicker Shifts
The 10L80’s quick shifts help 6.2-liter V8 L86 engine, rated at an SAE-certified 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, to achieve a more immediate feeling of performance, as the perfect gear is available whenever the driver tips into the engine’s power reserve. In other words, merging onto the highway or passing is a breeze despite the weight of these full-sizers.
3. Precise And Smooth Shift Feel
Shorter steps between gears along with proprietary controls provide a quick, seamless shifting experience, thereby making the new transmission more efficient in each of its gears than the six- and eight-speed units the 10L80 replaces.
4. Fuel Efficiency
The wider overall ratio enables a lower numerical top gear ratio, thereby delivering greater fuel efficiency in comparison to its six- and eight-speed predecessors. In addition, the 10-speed features lower friction, further adding to improved fuel efficiency.
5. Same Size, Double The Power
With so much packed into the 10L80, it may come as a surprise that there is no significant increase in overall unit size. In fact, the 10-speed has approximately the same physical dimensions as the six- and eight-speed transmissions before it, thereby minimizing changes to vehicle interfaces.
6. Two Hydraulic Pumps
As the clutches in an automatic transmission are hydraulically actuated and controlled, the new 10-speed relies on two special pumps to provide the necessary hydraulic muscle.
7. Reduced Spin Losses
The 10-speed has several friction-reducing design features, including all-new ultra-low viscosity transmission fluid, internal thermal bypass, a minimal number of non-applied clutches and various other lower elements that minimize mechanical spin losses. The result is a positive impact on vehicle efficiency.
8. Transmission Fluidity
The new 10-speed transmission enables the fluid to reach a viscosity of 4.5 centistokes, thereby significantly reducing friction and the workload for the hydraulic pumps.
9. Wider Gear Ratio Speed
The 10L80 has a wide spread of ratios between the first and the tenth gear. Increasing the size of the gear to 7.3 allows for a smoother run and for the car to stay in the selected gear for longer when driving on the highway.
10. GM Control System
World-class shift time quickness and responsiveness are accomplished by leveraging the base transmission hardware in concert with GM’s exclusively-developed algorithms, software and calibrations. An externally mounted electronic control module executes millions of instructions every second.
Availability
The 10L80 represents the first-ever application of a 10-speed transmission in GM SUVs. Availability varies by model year and model, but the unit is standard on the 2019 model year Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon Denali and Yukon Denali XL, Chevy Tahoe with the RST Performance Edition as well as the Suburban RST Performance Edition.
GM 10L80 10-Speed Automatic Transmission Availability & Applications
Model Year | Manufacturer | Make | Model | Engine | Transmission | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | General Motors Company | Chevrolet | Tahoe | 6.2L V8 L86 EcoTec3 | Hydra-Matic 10L80 MF6 | New on Tahoe RST Performance Edition |
2019 | General Motors Company | Chevrolet | Suburban | 6.2L V8 L86 EcoTec3 | Hydra-Matic 10L80 MF6 | New on Suburban RST Performance Edition |
2018 | General Motors Company | GMC | Yukon Denali | 6.2L V8 L86 EcoTec3 | Hydra-Matic 10L80 MF6 | Replaces 8-speed automatic M5U |
2018 | General Motors Company | GMC | Yukon Denali XL | 6.2L V8 L86 EcoTec3 | Hydra-Matic 10L80 MF6 | Replaces 8-speed automatic M5U |
2018 | General Motors Company | Cadillac | Escalade | 6.2L V8 L86 EcoTec3 | Hydra-Matic 10L80 MF6 | Replaces 8-speed automatic M5U |
2018 | General Motors Company | Cadillac | Escalade ESV | 6.2L V8 L86 EcoTec3 | Hydra-Matic 10L80 MF6 | Replaces 8-speed automatic M5U |
Comments
“With so much power packed into the 10L80”. Does this transmission have its own power source, such as an electric motor? Or did you post an error, when it should be “power handling”?
Instead of making more complex transmissions (I bet it has over 400 parts!), GM should uprate the RWD transmission of the plug-in EV Cadillac CT6 and convert all these large RWD vehciles to hybrids. The gas saving and simplified design benefits will compensate the higher prices.
It’s power in the non-literal sense of the word… just like a certain style of dress or a way of speaking or the written word can have power.
Regardless, the solution is not to electrify everything… which also increasing complexity. In fact, complexity should not be looked upon as a problem or a negative. What is a negative are complex things that don’t work well or that are complex for the sake of being complex.
On the subject of EVs and plug-ins: the CT6 PHEV is selling slower than molasses. EVs make up less than a percent of overall vehicle sales. How certain are you that the masses want an electric or even an electrifed car?
We can’t really assume the public doesn’t want an electric car, when most dealerships don’t attempt to sell EV’s or PHEVs. They know that they require less maintenance, and will inhibit income revenue over time. I’m sure the public would jump all over it, if they knew they could travel back and forth between work and home, purely on the battery. They would feel relieved to not have to stop at a gas station on the way home.
Most of the issues with the 8 speed were due to programming that aggressively selected the highest possible gear. It effectively neuteres the engines in all driving situations except WOT.
Likewise, the tune will determine the performance of the ten speed.
I’m reminded of the GM 6L45 Hydramatic used by BMW. The same hardware performed better in the Bimmers than in GM’s own vehicles because it was tuned better. Why didn’t GM tune it as well? Probably because their engines aren’t as fuel efficient, so they use the transmission programming to restrain the engines from high rpms.
They say it is approximately the same size as the 8 speed but it won’t fit the Vett. Is the space in the Vett so tight ta a mere fraction of an inch will cause this tranny not to fit. Mind you I don’t know what they mean by approximately. Is it 2 inches,1 inch or less or what?
Compared to the 8L90, the 10-speed is slightly larger, 20-30 lb heavier, and only has a 6% wider gear ratio spread.
Why does the 10 speed not appear in any vehicle with the 5.3L? One would think that the motor with less HP and TQ would stand to benefit more from having more gears.
Because it motivates the buy to purchase a higher trim or different engine! This is the way its supposed to work! The most expensive models get the best options!
Why is that so hard for you to understand?
Some of it is marketing. But being new availability is limited and there is a greater need to get better mpg in larger engine applications.
Supplies will come up and we will see an updated engine be it a 5.3 or even possible 5.5 engine with this transmission.
I expect a DOHC V8 at some point after the C8 intro for the trucks. Emissions will force it at some point.
THE 6L45 GM UNIT WAS ONLY USED IN THE X3 3.0 FROM 2007 TO 2011. BMW COMMONLY USE ZF SERIES TRANSMISSIONS WHICH ARE GARBAGE. CONVERSATION PRESENTED THE 6L45 WAS USED ACROSS THE BOARD,NOT SO.THIS ALSO IS BECOMING A FACTOR IN BMW LOW RESALE VALUE.
I have yet to encounter a ZF transmission that’s “garbage” or that performed below great… in any application.
First, your caps lock key is stuck.
Second, you’re wrong. BMW used the 6L45 in both the 1 and 3 series, and in the X1 and X3 series.
Third, ZF does not make garbage.
Normally I don’t respond to anyone with their Idiot Lock key engaged, but I saw your post had nine upvotes so I felt the need to correct it.
What is a centistoke?
The measurement of viscosity
In the article, it refers to the 10 speed as the 10L80 but in the application chart, it refers to it as the 10L90. Who is right?
It’s the 10L80.
I wish my 2015 Suburban’s transmission had the same feel as my 2012 X3s ZF – best performing transmission I’ve ever experienced!
13. WHAT MAKES THE ZF EIGHT-SPEED SO GOOD?
Two words: shift quality. The 8HP transmission from German supplier ZF is quick enough to serve sports cars and graceful enough for large luxury sedans, and it combines those elements of speed and smoothness whether it’s installed in an Aston Martin, a Rolls-Royce, or a Jeep.
Albert Dick, vice president of car powertrain technology at ZF, says the 8HP’s deeply satisfying shifts are rooted in factors ranging from the quality of the solenoids to the manufacturing methods to the control software. They’re also a product of a fundamental design that determines how the four planetary gearsets, three clutches, and two brakes in every 8HP gearbox are parsed into eight forward ratios. All one-gear and two-gear shifts use just two shifting elements: one opens, another closes. The 8HP also executes certain multigear shifts in this manner; witness the leaps from sixth gear to third and even eighth to second.
In 2017, some 3.5 million 8HP transmissions were built for a laundry list of manufacturers that includes Aston Martin, BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Jaguar Land Rover, and the Volkswagen Group. Beyond performance, the eight-speed’s appeal is rooted in its versatile modular design. It can accommodate a maximum torque output from as low as 162 pound-feet up to 770. It is compatible with a variety of all- and four-wheel-drive systems, such as an integrated center differential or a two-speed transfer case. The ability to swap the torque converter for an electric motor, as BMW has done, allows automakers to develop hybrid variants with minimal changes to the drivetrain. And the commonalities among all 8HP gearboxes allow companies to share core elements between vehicles as different as the Dodge Demon and the Ram 1500, minimizing development costs. “We keep the same power flow through all of those applications, so we can carry over the calibrations, the software, all of those tools that keep that transmission shifting smoothly,” says Eric Burnett, chief engineer for eight-speed, rear-wheel-drive transmissions at Fiat Chrysler.
Perhaps GM could take lessons from these chaps.
I think GMs 10 will do just fine! As for that outdated GM 8 speed you dont like. The last time I checked it turns 0 to 60 times in the ZO6 at 2.95! Not bad for a sub-par transmission that you claim!
Performance, Brian, is only a part of the equation. The world does not live accelerating and at WOT, which is the only time the 8-speed is decent (performs as expected but without delighting). During the majority of driving maneuvers, the performance of 8LXX is sub-par, mostly as a result of shoddy programming. It downshifts harshly and at the wrong time and, it does strange things when coasting. Don’t get me started on the shifting experience while towing.
You say call the 8-speed outdated. But it’s actually not. GM is still including it in all kinds of products, including the Corvette, Camaro, Tahoe, Suburban, non-Denali Yukon and Yukon XL, and Express/Savana. Those vehicles account for roughly a third of GM sales volume… and it will be around for another five years, alongside the 10-speed. So far from being outdated… it’s just a poorly-engineered component.
So it’s not only VCAT who doesn’t like the 8-speed. I’ve driven every vehicle that the the 8L goes into, and they are all equally sub-part. We have an entire forum discussion dedicated to complaints with the transmission. GM has had thousands of complaints from customers and dealers and there is are various TSBs on it. GM really messed up on this one, and they can’t really fix it.
So the question is, are you really so dull so as to conclude that thousands of people are wrong about a sub-par product? I would certainly hope you’re sharper than that. Instead of making excuses, hold GM to a fair and higher standard. Do that, and you’ll see that the 8L is a flop.
Well the GM vehicles that I have driven that have the 8 speed shift just fine, upshift, downshift, during normal driving as well as performance driving.
So we have a difference of opinion when it comes to the way the transmission performs. As for the discussion forum, there are always going to be people complaining about a certain part on a car or truck. What about all of the people who have zero problems with that component? They dont post comments on the discussion forum.
I wrote what I did because of my experience driving vehicles with the 8 speed transmission. So my question to you is why are other people on this site allowed to tell me my comments about the transmission are wrong but I am not allowed to do the same to them?
I dont agree with his assessment of the 8 speed. He says it doesn’t shift good, I say it does shift good.
.I posted an artical about the ZF 8 speed Transmission. No where did I mention how the GM 8 speed shift. My statement that GM could take lesions from ZF and produce world class Transmissions no matter how many speeds they have. Ask yourself is that such a bad thing?
And I believe that GM does! This is where we differ! Anybody can write a article praising a product.
Have you actually driven the ZF 8 speed to compare it to GM’s 8 speed?
To answer your question Brian, the problem with your comments here is that they are made blindly and fail to take into consideration the facts.
Are you really going to tell me that the following items are wrong?
1. The thousands of complaints logged in GM Global Connect Service Desk about sub-par performance specifically about the 8-speed transmission.
2. GM buying back a sizable quantity of vehicles because of issues or complaints about the 8-speed transmission.
3. GM making some notable changes to the 8-speed to rectify the issues responsible for #1 and #2 above for the all-new 2019 Silverado and Sierra.
How broad is your experience driving vehicles with the 8-speed tranny? How many hours did you spend driving one? I have personally logged over 3,000 hours driving all kinds of vehicles with the 8LXX (Silverado, Colorado, ATS, CTS and CT6) and I’m telling you from professional experience that the transmission is way below average. It does get the job done… but it does not do it well. Is that the kind of quality you want GM to provide – one that is subpar, below average, and non exceptional?
It’s the equivalent of an employee who is always in a bad mood and always complaining about working and who you always have to remind over and over to get things done.
Overall, you are trying to defend a component that is simply not good and is far from great, despite an overwhelming amount of evidence to the contrary staring you right in the face, confirming that your opinion on the matter is simply incorrect. Heck, show me a single positive comment about the 8LXX.
And therein lies the problem. Your “opinion”:
1. Does not align with reality
2. Flies in the fact of hard facts
3. Is baseless, since you have not even experienced the benchmark of the components we are discussing (the 8-speed from ZF or even the 8-speed from Aisin), so you are not well-versed to discuss this mater.
So, how much time have you actually spent with a GM vehicle with the GM 8-speed transmission? What vehicle was it? And while we’re at it, please show me one positive comment or review about the 8-speed.
I will say this, I am happy with the vehicles that have a 8 speed transmission from GM that I have driven. If you dont prefer the 8 speed from GM then feel free to buy something else.
Alex asked you what vehicles you have supposedly driven with the GM 8 speed. You didn’t answer.
Alex asked you how much time you spent driving these vehicles. Again, you didn’t answer.
All this leads me to believe that you are unqualified to discuss this topic with any actual authority or knowledge of the matter.
If GM design was left up to Brian GM would not sell 1 truck because the 1982 6.2 Diesel with 700R4 was good enough. And Happy customers on average don’t write reviews, or comments. Its the customers that have had Horrible customer service by GM and have no other recourse but to write everywhere they can.
The amount of GM cars and trucks with a 8 speed transmission and the amount of miles that I have driven is irrelevant. It doesn’t take thousand’s of miles to determine if a particular part works very well. My times behind the wheel of those vehicles has been very rewarding.
The real issue that I have is this idea that people feel the need to breakdown every nanosecond of driving a certain vehicle. They act as if a normal passenger car or truck needs to perform like a IndyCar or F1 car. Like being on a race team analyzing every tenth of a inch of the car as it goes around the track. (That kind of detail is required on a race car) This kind of analysis is not required on a normal passenger car or truck that the driver just wants to get from point A to point B.
Do you really think grandma cares about downshift feel? Or weather it searches for a gear? ( Which is what a A/T is supposed to do) The answer to this is no all most people care about is, does this vehicle get me to my destination?
So when I drive these vehicles around,
Does the 8 speed shift from 1st to 8th gear? Yes
Do I over analyze each shift? No
Does it work as intended? Yes
Does the transmission search for a gear when cruising? Yes, because it’s trying to find the best gear to be in for those conditions.
There’s no reason to be this picky about a normal passenger car or truck, it’s not a racecar or a space shuttle.
As for the complaints, people will always complain about cars and trucks. People will complain about Bentley and Rolls Royce cars! And companies like GM will cave to these people because of the bad press they might get from a customer going to every form of social media and tells their story. So GM just cuts their losses in order to shut the customer up. How many GM customers drive their cars and trucks with zero problems? A lot, but you very rarely ever hear from them. People posting the nightmares is what gets eyeballs.
As for the GM 8 Speed transmission is it perfect no, but if its designed to be installed in a Corvette ( Base, Z51. GS, ZO6, ZR1) then I am perfectly fine with being installed in all of the other GM models.
I agree – My 2016 Yukon Denali has the 8 speed and while it generally gets the job done, it leaves a lot to be desired. It is always in the wrong gear, is slow to downshift, quick to upshift and does clunk and jerk when coasting and sometimes when making a quick stop – start. It also needs a long pause after starting the engine before attempting to drive away, or it just slips (and this is AFTER performing the GM service bulletin to improve this issue). The transmission is also slow to shift at WOT. I have a 2019 Yukon Denali-Callaway on order and expect delivery late September. I expect it to be much improved.
Are there any GM cars or trucks with a ZF 8 speed transmission? If the answer is no then my answer is no!
Look I dont cross the line! I dont cross shop!
If this transmission is supposed to increase efficiency then why does MPG drop to only 20 highway on the new 2019 trucks with the 6.2? Also it looks like certain 2019 Tahoes lose 1 highway MPG. The 2019 Mileage ratings make no sense.
There is a vast difference between the EPA test cycle and real-world performance. Guess which the 10-speed addresses?
Looks like Pickups will not be getting the 10 speed in the near future ?
The 10-speed is being offered on the trucks. Look:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/chevrolet/silverado/2019-chevrolet-silverado/2019-chevrolet-silverado-powertrain/
Brian is no doubt old school and enjoys a “positive” shift feel. I have a 6T30 in a sonic, and rarely do not feel the upshift, and get a bone jarring downshift if braking on a grade. GM has been striving for a Cadillac smooth transmission, leaving the positive shift sensation on the shelf.
Rick, I have a 70 Chevy Truck that has very hard upshifts. I built the truck to run that way, it’s highly modified with a 383/700R4 and a 12 bolt lock right posi.
When we are talking about a production car or truck there’s no reason for the transmission to operate like a race car.
I hope this makes sense?
I have a feeling I have driven an 8 speed GM in a rental. They feel like they are loaded with sag. Shifting just before the engine can reach the torque band, and difficult to find the acceleration point where the engine can actually perform without getting too pedal heavy. The older computer controlled transmissions suffer from a lack of throttle response so badly, that I learned to seek L2 when I needed to accelerate in someone else’s car, or listen to an engine that sounds like it is trying to spin the wheels, but the trans must be slipping because the vehicle just isn’t accelerating in relation to the RPM.
I knew years ago that even the high output engines could attain fair MPG if they had more gearing, and do enjoy around 30mpg city in my 1.8 sonic. Especially when gas is running around $3 a gallon. On the other hand, I have driven more than my share of rentals, that had a light to hard pull under braking because they had sustained damage that required a skilled body/frame man, but were only repaired to the point of looking good. Cars and more so, light trucks, should not be dropping a tire to the ground under relatively light hits. They should be getting better than low 20’s for city driving, and the newer transmissions allow that in most vehicles.
I had a 700R4 in a 12 or 12.5:1, 305 that was 20 over. Like most R4’s, it had a positive feel on shift points, and extremely positive, especially on down shifts when in 3.
2019 Yukon XL Denali
6.2 L 10L90
Love it – effortless power delivery in every situation. firm, quiet shifts, 18mpg City, 26mpg hwy cruise usually set @ 70… impressive for this land yacht.
Last one was an 06 Suburban 2500LT (6.0L, 4L80e) 12mpg city, 18mpg hwy….. would pull anything, bulletproof and strong after 200k miles, lost the frame to Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Rust Injection Program Using Road Salt.
Ten million reasons to replace the troublesome eight speed. If this tranny is so good why not use it in everything they can. Ford is using theirs in almost everything they can so should GM. With the problematic eight speed giving the so much grief you would think the would want to get that nightmare behind them as soon as possible.
Is it possible to put the 10L80 in my 2016 6.2L GMC Sierra All-Terrain? I love the truck, but the 8 speed almost makes me want to hit up the Ford dealership. The 8-speed is terrible. I spent $55k on my truck, only 4 years old with 82k miles on it and having to think about getting a new one is not right! Thanks for any feedback. I asked the dealer and they said they wouldn’t do it.
Is the 10L80 operated all electric or is it cable operated? I’m thiking if the Tahoe and Suburban can be “retrofitted” with a column shifter by swapping out some parts and a new software (if even necessary). Because come on, GM’s new button shifters are nothing but aweful. And after all, the Silverado is still shifted “manually” with a column shifter, so the parts are there.