Tata showcased a Nano with an automated manual transmission at the 2014 Auto Expo which took place in February. Following the showcase, Mr. Ranjit Yadav, president of Tata Motors passenger vehicles business, confirmed to Indian Autos Blog that the company was working on bringing this variant of the Nano to the market soon.
The first indication that the Nano AMT may indeed launch in the market soon can be seen in these spyshots, which show that Tata has commenced road trials of this version.
On closer inspection, the gearlever unit appears identical to the Nano F-Tronic showcased at the Auto Expo. Unlike the regular Nano which gets a 4-speed manual unit, the F-Tronic is in fact a 5-speed gearbox with a mechatronic unit. Tata is likely to source this system from Magneti Marelli, who also supply the AMT system for the Maruti Celerio, India's first passenger car to use AMT.
The F-Tronic uses an electro-hydraulic mechanism which employs an electronic control unit and a hydraulic system to supervise clutch usage and gear shifting. Tata says that F-Tronic will deliver about 15-20 percent more fuel efficiency compared to the regular automatic transmission.
The Nano Twist F-Tronic when it launches, would be the flagship variant in the Nano lineup, combining the convenience of AMT with power steering.
Tata Nano Twist F-Tronic AMT - Image Gallery
[Images from Motoroids]
