Large, well-equipped hatchbacks are perfect city cars. Easy to park, easy to drive and as good as sedans in all other areas, they rule in tight, congested cities. As traffic becomes heavier and the number of gear shifts go up, drivers also look for the extra convenience of an automatic gearbox. Allowing a mechanical device to take over the work of your left foot and left hand is strangely liberating. Driving in city traffic becomes much more relaxing as a result and fatigue goes down, especially when the average speeds drop.
Of course, automatic gearboxes are a convenience you have to pay for. They are, in general, more expensive to buy, they often sap a considerable amount of engine power and, they consume more fuel too. This double whammy is what has kept ‘on-a-budget’ small car buyers away from automatics in the first place. Today, however, there are several solutions to this. Some automatic gearboxes are now quite affordable, others are very quick and yet others are quite efficient too. In fact, so confident are manufacturers that the small automatic car revolution is around the corner in India, there are no less than four different types of gearboxes to choose from now. As each of these work quite differently, here’s a quick guide to help you choose one that is suitable for your needs.
