Maruti Suzuki has announced that it has sold over three lakh AMT-equipped models in India since the technology was first introduced on the Celerio hatchback back in 2014. The Japanese brand now retails seven cars with the automated manual transmission – the Alto K10, WagonR, Celerio, Swift, Ignis, Dzire and the recently launched Vitara Brezza.
The AMT gearbox is a popular option for buyers – 43 percent of Celerios currently sold are AMT-equipped, while the numbers stand at 28 percent for the Ignis and 17 percent for the Dzire.
In addition, the brand claims that AMT models’ contribution to the company’s total sales has tripled in FY2017-18, as compared to 2014-15, when it was first introduced. The Japanese carmaker aims to sell over two lakh cars with an automated manual transmission during the 2018-19 fiscal year.
Commenting on the success of the Auto Gear Shift technology from Maruti Suzuki, R S Kalsi, senior executive director (marketing and sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “At Maruti Suzuki, we believe in providing our customers with the best of technology and convenience. The revolutionary Auto Gear Shift technology is one such innovation that offers comfort and ease of driving to the customers with no compromise on fuel efficiency. It has achieved wide acceptance among customers. Crossing the three-lakh retail sales mark, within five years of its introduction, is a reflection of the success and consent of the customers for the two-pedal technology. With enhanced awareness and deeper penetration, we aim to sell over 2,00,000 cars with AGS in 2018-19.”
While Maruti Suzuki introduced this technology in India, the market currently sees many other carmakers offering AMT gearboxes with their models including Tata (Tiago, Tigor, Nexon), Mahindra (KUV100, TUV300), Renault (Kwid, Duster) and Nissan (Terrano).
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
