The Suzuki Karimun Wagon R which is identical to the India-spec Maruti Wagon R, will shortly start testing an AMT gearbox for feasibility, reports Otomotifnet.
The Indonesian Wagon R is powered by the same 1.0-litre K-series petrol that powers its Indian counterpart. The three-cylinder motor develops 66.6 bhp (68 PS) and 90 Nm of torque. A 5-speed manual gearbox does the transmission duty as of now.
Though the time frame for launching the Wagon R AMT gearbox was not divulged, Mr. Davy Tuilan, head of sales and marketing, Suzuki Indomobil Sales (SIS), confirmed that the test will begin shortly.
The AMT unit is expected to retain the gear ratios of the manual transmission while the rest of the components are most likely to be shared with the Celerio's AMT.
Currently the Karimum Wagon R is available in three variants - GA, GL and GX and the AMT could be an option in the mid-level GL or top end GX variant. SIS had shown a 3-row Wagon R as a concept car last year, to compete with the Datsun Go+.
The Suzuki Karimun Wagon R is being manufactured at the company's plant in Tambun. The LCGC (Low Cost Green Car) hatchback is also exported to Pakistan from Indonesia.
As far as India goes, earlier media reports suggest that Maruti would offer AMT in the Wagon R and the Alto K10 in the future.
[Source: Otomotifnet.com]
