Alfa Romeo’s related automated manual transmission used on the 156 was called Selespeed.
Selespeed was a conventional manual gearbox equipped with electronically controlled hydraulic actuators. Those actuators operated both the clutch and gear selection, allowing the driver to shift with steering-wheel controls or a sequential lever without using a clutch pedal. Magneti Marelli developed the system, while Graziano Trasmissioni manufactured the gearbox.
The system first appeared in 1999 as an option for the Alfa Romeo 156 2.0-litre Twin Spark. It was not the same as the 156’s Q-System, a conventional four-speed automatic offered with the 2.5-litre V6. That distinction is a common source of confusion: both could be described casually as automatics, but Selespeed retained the mechanical layout of a manual transmission.
Later Selespeed applications included the Alfa Romeo 147, GT, 159, Brera and Spider. Fiat used the related name Dualogic, while Lancia called comparable systems D.F.N. The 156’s early system used steering-wheel buttons; after the facelift, paddle shifters replaced them.