The all-new Santro will be the first car from Hyundai to come with an automated manual transmission (AMT).
Hyundai has developed an in-house automated manual transmission (AMT) that will be first seen on its all-new hatchback codenamed the AH2. The car is most likely to be called the Santro while the product naming campaign will begin in August. By providing an AMT with its cars, Hyundai will be making them easier to drive in city conditions while also reducing the cost of production compared to the CVT.
Presently, Hyundai uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and torque converter in its cars. Other companies like the Maruti Suzuki and Tata have AMT options with their products in India and although Hyundai already sells a good number of cars, this AMT option should help in making those numbers rise. Indian market too is seeing more buyers opting for the AMT, thanks to their convenience in city driving.
In a segment that is ruled by Maruti Suzuki because of the competitive pricing and reliability of its cars, it is difficult for other manufacturers to really take those head–on. But, Hyundai is very optimistic about the AMT and is estimating that 20 percent of the Santro sales will be sold with this gearbox.
The all-new Hyundai Santro will be introduced in the upcoming festive season and will see stiff competition from the Maruti Wagon R, Renault Kwid and the Datsun redi-GO, all of which sell in good numbers. The revival of the Santro brand should somewhat help the car-maker in attracting more customers.
If Hyundai AMT gets a good response, the company might go ahead and even provide it with its other cars in the India portfolio. The manufacturer has even readied an aggressive launch strategy which will see eight new products coming to the Indian market by 2020. These will include an electric SUV (aka Kona) and the sub 4-metre compact SUV known as the QXI.
Hyundai AMT Transmission
– The Santro will become the first Hyundai car to have an AMT
– It will most likely be a 5-speed gearbox
– Both, the car and the AMT will debut in the upcoming festive season
Source – CarWale.com
