Hyundai is most likely to introduce the AMT unit on the Grand i10 while Renault will bring it on the XBA entry-level hatchback that will take on the Alto K10 AMT.
The introduction of the Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) unit on the Celerio hatchback led to Maruti Suzuki laughing its way to the bank, which was followed by Tata Motors with the Zest diesel and now the Nano GenX Easy Shift models. Taking notes from the competition, a report states that the newest entrants to the club are Hyundai and Renault that will be employing AMT gearboxes to their vehicles in a bid to provide affordable automatic cars.
Hyundai India will be equipping its popular selling hatch the Grand i10 with the AMT unit to take on the Maruti Celerio and will later introduce the unit on the next generation Eon. Renault India, on the other hand, will introduce the AMT unit on its upcoming entry-level hatchback the XBA that is scheduled to be unveiled on 20th May and will rival the Maruti Alto K10 AMT in the segment. Both the companies will be sourcing the AMT units from ZF Sachs instead of Magnetti Marelli that currently retails to Maruti and Tata.
The Automated Manual Transmission proved its mettle on the Celerio emerging as a cost effective option against the conventional automatic gearboxes while also providing an improved fuel efficiency figure. Sure, it does lack the refinement and smoothness of a conventional gearbox but manages to offer the convenience of driving an automatic at a marginal premium over its manual counterpart. Moreover, with the premium tag associated with automatics, the masses quite easily took fancy of the AMT unit that uses actuators to control the otherwise traditional manual gearbox.
Source – AutocarIndia.com
