The reasons for the popularity of automatic transmission cars are not hard to find. Simply put, they are convenient and hassle-free to drive – and that is a big relief in our cities that see a lot of bumper-to-bumper traffic. Several brands offer automatic transmission cars in India, the leader, however, is Maruti Suzuki that offers three types of automatic transmissions - Auto Gear Shift (AGS), Automatic Transmission (AT), and Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).
Let’s understand these automatic transmissions one by one:
AGS: Pioneered by Maruti Suzuki, the Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technology is a simple yet highly effective automatic transmission technology. AGS has an Intelligent Shift Control Actuator which handles clutch and shift operations. AGS combines the actuator and the transmission electronic controller unit and directly mounts them in the transmission in order to unify the working components. This helps achieve optimum and synchronised control over the clutch, shifting and the engine, which, in turn, results in smooth gear changes.
Cars equipped with AGS transmission technology are rated to be as fuel-efficient as manual cars. The transmission itself is easy to maintain. Maruti Suzuki cars equipped with AGS transmission include Alto K10, S-PRESSO, Celerio, Celerio X, Dzire, Ignis, Swift, Vitara Brezza and WagonR.
AT: Maruti Suzuki’s AT technology involves an automatic transmission in which gear selection is done through a torque converter unit that is controlled by the car’s ECU. The gear selection is made depending on the load and the speed of the vehicle. Maruti Suzuki cars equipped with AT include Ciaz, Ertiga and the new XL6.
CVT: At the heart of Continuously Variable transmission technology is a pulley system which features two pulleys of variable diameters that are connected by a belt or chain. The transmission is operated by a Transmission Electronic Controller Unit to arrive at optimum multiple speed ratios. CVT lets a car’s engine run at the most optimum RPM for any given speed. This translates to great fuel efficiency as well as driveability. Maruti Suzuki offers the CVT technology on the Baleno model.
Planning to buy an automatic car from Maruti Suzuki? Know more about their automatic transmission technologies on the official website.
