According to a report on NDTV Car and Bike, Maruti Suzuki, India's largest manufacturer of passenger vehicles, is also the largest manufacturer of automatic transmission equipped cars. Since the launch of the AMT (automated manual transmission) or AGS in Maruti speak, over 360,000 Marutis featuring two-pedal technology have been sold in India.
In 2014, Maruti became the first passenger vehicle manufacturer to offer AMT in India through the Maruti Celerio. The low-cost technology which uses a robotised actuator to shift gears instead of a traditional torque converter gives buyers the convenience of clutch free driving while returning the same mileage at a reduced cost (compared to traditional automatics, AMTs are around INR 50,000 cheaper to buy).
AMT technology is now available in the Maruti Alto K10, Maruti Celerio, Maruti Wagon R, Maruti Swift, Maruti Dzire, Maruti Vitara Brezza, and the Maruti Ignis which is retailed through the premium NEXA channel. According to the report, the AMT variants of these cars account for 20 percent sales of their respective model lines.
Maruti offers CVT and torque converter technologies on the Maruti Baleno, Maruti Ertiga and Maruti Ciaz. The Baleno is available with a CVT, whereas the Ertiga and Ciaz can be specced with a 4-speed torque converter, the latter getting the SHVS mild hybrid technology to enhance fuel efficiency. Despite a 4-speed torque converter, the 2018 Ciaz claims a class-leading 20.28 km/l, which competitors have difficulty matching using more modern technologies like CVT or DSG.
Also read: Purported 2018 Maruti Ertiga-based crossover unlikely, hints CV Raman
Italian company Magneti Marelli supplies the AMT kit in Maruti products. This financial year, Maruti aims to sell 200,000 AMT equipped cars and SUVs in the Indian market, the report adds.
[Source - Auto.NDTV.com]
