Want The Smoothest AMT In India? Buy These Cars!
Despite being convenient and easy to live with, automatic transmissions used to be available only on premium cars previously. The expensive nature of traditional automatic transmissions was the most important reason for this. Things, however, changed with the advent of Automated Manual Transmissions (AMTs). These democratised ‘automatics’ and the convenience they bring along. AMTs enjoy great acceptance today and can be found on affordable models from various manufacturers. In the past few years, we have seen them evolve and their overall experience improve. In this story, we will talk about cars and SUVs that come with the smoothest AMTs in India...
The Context
An AMT isn’t really an ‘automatic transmission’. It is very different from conventional automatic transmissions like CVTs (Continuously Variable Transmission) or torque converters. AMT is essentially a manual transmission that uses sensors and electronic or hydraulic actuators to operate the clutch and do the shifts automatically. The driver doesn’t have to worry about shifts, nor does he have to fiddle around with the clutch pedal amidst traffic.
A characteristic feature of many AMT transmissions is the perceptible nature of their shifts. Many aren’t butter-smooth or seamless. In their early days, many AMT gearboxes used to offer ‘jerky shifts’. The latest generations/ newest iterations of these transmissions have solved this issue almost completely. Let’s now take a look at six cars with the smoothest AMT transmissions on sale here...
Want Smooth AMTs? Buy These!
Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS
Hyundai plausibly has the smoothest AMTs on offer in the budget segment. The most affordable Hyundai AMT to go for is the Grand i10 NIOS Magna AMT, which has an ex-showroom price of Rs 6.85 lakh. It comes with a five-speed AMT gearbox that offers smooth shifts and doesn’t disappoint by being slow to respond.
In most cases, it feels quite fun to drive. The 1.2L four-cylinder petrol engine feels peppy as well. Five AMT-equipped variants are available on the NIOS, with the range-topping one priced at Rs 7.9 lakh, ex-showroom.
Hyundai Exter AMT
The Exter shares its platform, engine and transmissions with the i10 NIOS. 14 Exter variants are available with this five-speed Automated Manual unit, with a starting ex-showroom price of Rs 7.68 lakh for the S Smart AMT variant. The range-topping SX Opt Connect Knight Edition AMT is priced at Rs 9.61 Lakh, ex-showroom. Clearly, there’s plenty for the value-conscious buyer to choose from...
Hyundai Aura AMT
The Aura continues to be a slow seller. It competes with the Maruti Dzire and, in fact, benefits from a better AMT transmission! It has the same unit used in the Exter and the Grand i10 NIOS. Just two automatic variants are on offer, priced at Rs 7.39 lakh and Rs 8.19 lakh, respectively- both ex-showroom.
New Maruti Celerio
The Celerio caters to the price-sensitive customer, and Maruti Suzuki has tried its best to package it in the best possible way. The AMT gearbox in this case, is tuned to ensure a fine balance between refinement, smoothness, fuel efficiency, and performance. The shifts feel smooth in most cases. The ‘head-nod’ is well contained as well.
The only times when you’d find these shifts jerky would be under hard acceleration- forgivable considering the vehicle’s price point and the transmission’s nature. Plus, this can be felt on almost all models mentioned here, to some degree.
Three variants of the Celerio can be had with AMT transmissions- the VXi, ZXi and ZXi Plus. These have ex-showroom prices of Rs 5.61 lakh, 6.16 lakh, and 6.73 lakh, respectively.
New Maruti Swift
The Swift is still considered a sporty, youthful car by many and continues to sell well in the Indian market. The latest generation hatchback offers AMT automatic transmission on five of its variants- VXi, VXi Opt, ZXi, ZXi Plus, and ZXi Plus DT.
AMT variants start at Rs 7.04 lakh, ex-showroom, and go up to Rs 8.80 lakh, ex-showroom. The AMT here, feels smooth in general. However, under hard acceleration, you’ll notice pronounced pauses between shifts- something that goes against the ‘sporty’ character of the hatchback.
New Maruti Dzire
On the new Dzire, the five-speed AMT works fairly well. The shifts are fairly smooth, but the transmission here is slow to respond to sudden throttle inputs- not a deal-breaker considering the laid-back nature of the powertrain.
Bottomline
If you’re looking for an AMT automatic transmission with near-seamless shifts, the best bet is to go with a Hyundai model from the ones mentioned above. Maruti Suzuki’s AMTs have come a long way in terms of smoothness and refinement. The ones offered on models featured in this article won’t disappoint on this front...