A lot has changed since India gained her independence. The country has seen tremendous gains in the economy, in the field of technology and what used to be luxuries have become conveniences for one and all. Cars have become one of the many conveniences that have become more accessible but even so, the automatic transmission was treated as the devil. Automatic cars were considered to be heavy on maintenance and struggled to gain popularity because of fuel efficiency related concerns.
The automated manual transmission (AMT) changed that perception. With more people buying cars and congestion only getting worse, AMTs have given many left legs the gift of freedom in an easy to use and cost-effective package.
This technology is all about bringing the convenience of an automatic car to the masses, so we list the AMT cars you can buy in India with a budget of Rs 10 lakh.
Tata Nano – Rs 2.26 – 3.20 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
India’s most affordable hatch, the Tata Nano is also the most affordable automatic car one can buy. The AMT can be had in the top-end trims – Nano XMA and XTA. Powered by a small, 624cc petrol engine, the Nano returns an impressive mileage of 21.9kmpl in its automatic versions. While the XMA costs Rs 3.01 lakh, the XTA variant is priced at Rs 3.20 lakh (both prices, ex-Delhi).
Renault Kwid – Rs 2.62 – 4.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
The Renault Kwid has been constantly clocking around 10,000 sales every month. The reasons are its SUV-esque styling, spacious interiors, segment-first features and excellent fuel economy. The Kwid is also available with an AMT option in three variants – RXL, RXL (O) and the Kwid Climber (restricted to only 1.0-litre engine options). These automatic Kwid variants offer a mileage of 24.04kmpl.
Maruti Alto K10 – Rs 3.26 – 4.12 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
The Maruti Alto K10 needs no introduction. It’s one of the best selling cars from the Maruti stable and besides the regular manual transmission, the Alto K10 gets an AMT too. The top-end VXI and VXI (O) are equipped with this gearbox and offer impressive mileage of 24.07kmpl.
Maruti Celerio – Rs 4.03 – 5.24 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
The Maruti Celerio is arguably the most important car in this list, since it was the car that debuted an AMT for the masses. This is the only Maruti car to have the AMT in all its variants. Since the diesel Celerio is discontinued now, it is only offered in the 1.0-litre petrol engine. With the AMT on, the Maruti hatch delivers a fuel economy of 23.1kmpl. The AMT range starts at Rs 4.49 lakh for LXI variant and maxes out at Rs 5.24 lakh for the ZXI (O) trim.
Maruti Wagon R – Rs 4.10 – 5.31 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
The Maruti Wagon R has been an unsung hero in the Japanese carmaker’s stable. It has been constantly delivering great numbers month-on-month. Recently, it also got the AMT treatment, though it’s confined to the top trims – VXI, VXI Plus, VXI (O) and VXI Plus (O). With its tried and tested 1.0-litre petrol engine, the Wagon R AMT returns a commendable fuel efficiency figure of 20.51kmpl.
Tata Tiago – Rs 3.21 – 5.65 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
If there’s one car that has kept the hopes alive at Tata Motors, it’s definitely the Tata Tiago. The stylish hatch has been constantly raking in 5,000+ sales each month. To cash in on the increasing popularity, Tata bestowed the Tiago with the AMT option. Available only in the petrol avatar, the Tiago AMT consumes fuel at the rate of 23.84kmpl. It can only be had in the Tiago XZA variant.
Maruti Ignis – Rs 4.56 – 7.54 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Targeted at the millennials, the Maruti Ignis has been quite successful in the Indian market. The quirky style is polarising but is guaranteed to grab attention. A major selling-point is the fact that it’s the only diesel AT hatchback priced below Rs 10 lakh. The carmaker recently added the AMT to its top-end Alpha trim as well. so you can now have it in the fully-loaded avatar. The petrol AMT versions are priced between Rs 5.72 – 7.01 lakh, while the diesel AMT versions will set you back by Rs 6.83 – 8.08 lakh. With the petrol engine, it returns a mileage of 20.89kmpl while with the diesel, the figure reads 26.8kmpl.
Maruti Dzire – Rs 5.43 – 9.39 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
The Maruti Dzire is the new talk of the town thanks to its contemporary styling, well-integrated boot and all-round practicality. It’s also very fuel efficient, delivering 28.4kmpl for the diesel engine and 22kmpl for the petrol. For the first time, the AMT or the AGS (Auto Gear Shift) in company’s words, is available across the variants except for the base trims. The petrol AMT versions are priced between Rs 6.73 – 8.37 lakh, while the diesel AMT versions will set you back by Rs 7.75 – 9.39 lakh.
Tata Zest – Rs 5.16 – 8.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
The Tata Zest marked a new beginning in the design philosophy at Tata Motors. Tata products started looking more distinctive after the Zest was launched. It also introduced the AMT in the compact sedan segment. Only the diesel Zest is available with the automatic option and that too, only in the XTA and XMA trims.
Mahindra TUV 300 – Rs 7.59 – 9.94 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
The tank-inspired Mahindra TUV 300 also finds a place in this list. The butch SUV looks tough and has immense road presence. While a 5-speed manual gearbox comes as standard, Mahindra also offers the TUV 300 with the option of an AMT. Offering a mileage of 18.49kmpl, it is available in three diesel trims – T6 Plus, T8 and mHAWK100 T8.
Mahindra Nuvosport – Rs 7.60 – 10.08 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Another Mahindra that rests at the end of this compilation of AMT machines is the Mahindra NuvoSport. Mahindra tried its luck in the under-4m compact SUV segment earlier with the Quanto and later with the NuvoSport. While neither car received a strong response from buyers, you can have the Nuvosport with the convenience of an AMT. Powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine, the NuvoSport N6 AMT variant returns a decent mileage figure of 17.45kmpl.
So if you’re looking to get an AMT-equipped car for under Rs 10 lakh, there’s no lack of options. If you just want an automatic car in the same budget, you can also take a look at the following options: Hyundai Grand i10, Maruti Baleno, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze, Honda Jazz, Ford Aspire, Ford Figo, Maruti Ertiga, Hyundai Elite i20, Volkswagen Ameo, Volkswagen Polo, Maruti Ciaz and Ford EcoSport.
Source: CarDekho.com
