Car Buyers in India Are Shifting To Automatic Transmission


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Automatic transmission is the new obsession in town. Top auto companies such as Hyundai, Honda, Maruti Suzuki, Audi, Volkswagen are seeing an increased demand for such vehicles and every sixth car sold in the Indian auto markets are single shift transmission vehicles.

Automatic transmission cars are credited with being easier to drive and with faster acceleration which has caught the attention of customers. Besides smaller cars even buyers of more luxury sedans and SUVs are choosing automatic transmission vehicles over the traditional manual types.

Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest auto company pioneered this concept in India back in 1987 with the launch of automatic M800 while it later brought out the automatic Zen in 1996 and more recently the compact Dzire all with automatic transmission.

Mr Jnaneshwar Sen, Marketing & Sales, Head, Honda India, said, "The congested city roads and urban traffic warrant automatic cars. Rising traffic density and stop-and-go commuting on Indian roads result in stressful driving. Automatic transmission is improvising the Indian driver to tackle the fast changing driving conditions, where a clutchless single shift gear option helps in smooth drive."

Just over 2 years back, of the total number of cars sold in India, only 2% were with Automatic Transmission, now their share has risen to 12%-14%. Compared to cars with manual transmission, cars with automatic transmission are not only better performance wise, but also reduce the overall wear and tear of the car in the long run.

A Delhi based VW dealer says, "The manual Jetta is almost 2 lakh cheaper than the automatic. But almost 65% of the Jettas that we sell are with the single shift gear. The automatic is fully loaded with higher features and specs like special upholstery, touchscreen music etc that increase its value package."


Car-buyers-in-India-shifting-to-automatic-transmission-600x218.jpg

Source: Rush Lane

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350Z

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This news seems to be true because I know a few people around who are looking for automatics in small / mid car segments but let down with the limited options. Now that Suzuki has brought Dzire Automatic and Sunny Automatic is also on cards, I’m sure that India will catch this trend in no time.

Drive Safe,
350Z
 
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It's good to see that now almost every manufacturer is coming with an automatic transmission option. And any ways driving a vehicle with an automatic option is way better then a manual when you are stuck in traffic (like our regular Delhi Traffic at the office hours). You don't have to keep pressing the clutch all times or usually some people shift to Neutral and then again to first. But with automatic its less tiring. Just have to press the break and release it when required.

But sometimes driving an automatic gets really boring. i have personally felt the same on many of occasions. Specially when i am driving on a interstate (Highways). But maybe it's just in US because once you hit the highway then you don't need the brakes as well.

That's one of the reason why i love CVT transmission. So that you can drive manual as well as automatic when you want.
 
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The Automatic transmission even though is a boon for many right from the young to the old while driving a car with it in the city, however it could prove to be a bane on the highways since there is NO usage of clutch it could lead the driver to be a bit lethargic & not be alert on the highway & like Singh890 said it gets boring as well after driving with AT for sometime & you want to feel the changing of gears again!
 
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Auto cars must be really encouraged in cities like Mumbai , Delhi , Bangalore were traffic is hell . It's just that it needs a tipping point once that happens I think the market will see a flood of auto cars .
 
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Automatic cars are anytime the best option for places with back to back traffic. That's the time when i love driving a automatic. Back here in DC (Washington DC) during the traffic hours the traffic is so miserable and i just love driving the automatic in that traffic.
 
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The Automatic transmission even though is a boon for many right from the young to the old while driving a car with it in the city, however it could prove to be a bane on the highways since there is NO usage of clutch it could lead the driver to be a bit lethargic & not be alert on the highway & like Singh890 said it gets boring as well after driving with AT for sometime & you want to feel the changing of gears again!
Thats a typical comment from someone who has not driven an Automatic. First there are manual override options in Automatics (like paddle shifters, triptronic etc) that allow you to change gears at will (the only question is response time from the tranny). Otherwise also you can work out your leg to change gears at will (depends on the pressure applied on the accelerator).

If you want to feel changing of gears that very much possible in Automatics. The only issue is the response time to your gear change request. Usually it is about a second or so and is perceptible (unlike manuals where it is instantaneous). But there are also advanced automatics like DSG where this lag is negligible.
 
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It is an irony that in India where traffic is miserable we have a plethora of manuals whereas developed countries where traffic is thin compared to India, rely more on auto boxes. But that is because Auto cars are more expensive & thirsty & that plays on the mind of consumers here in India. SO in a segment like Jetta & above it may not matter but in a sub 10lac segment it does play on the minds of consumers.
With the advancement of technology, I'm sure a time will come when auto boxes will sip lesser fuel than manuals (hopefully) & costs will come down over time as volumes increase....But auto enthusiasts will swear by manuals & never ever opt for autos(I'm not talking about Lambos & ferraris here btw)
 
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Manufacturers should start considering AT in the base models too... In the current situation, if you perfer to buy an AT, it is available only in the high end variants.
 
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The city traffic woes have been there since quite a number of years now. I wonder why car manufactures have not sensed it yet to offer better AT options in the volume segments. Also agree with Skay's point that the AT should be offered on base variants as well. And also the manufactures must test the waters by offering AT boxes on Diesel variants in this range. I am sure there are buyers who are willing to pay a premium for this convenience and comfort. It will also meet the "mileage" sensibility needs compared to the AT option on the petrol.
 
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well, I agree on that because traffic in cities have increased a lot and as women drivers are also on streets they prefer an Auto instead of manual because it eases the drive. but I am disappointed seeing this because the fun which a manual can give the Auto won't be able to match that up. [sad]
 
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I for one, always prefered auto-trans, ofcourse not the one like seen in Dzire or Santros but DSG or 7G Tronic. Besides this, the power of auto trans engine should also be good. It is funny to drive auto Dzire or Santro.
 
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I for one, always prefered auto-trans, ofcourse not the one like seen in Dzire or Santros but DSG or 7G Tronic. Besides this, the power of auto trans engine should also be good. It is funny to drive auto Dzire or Santro.
It actually is why do you need an auto to drive a hatch ?
If an elder person or a female is using it then its fine and understandable but an auto enthusiast doing that ! [lol]
 
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awesome news if i were given choice i would choose At any day . Keep AT normal driving but when you want high rpm just switch to manual volla . you enjoy both AT and MT in automatic where as MT you are stuck with MT
 

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