Maruti Suzuki India that already offers AMT (automated manual transmission) on a couple of cars, is now planning to introduce the same gearbox with its highly-popular entry level hatchback - the WagonR. The reason we claim this is the fact that the WagonR and WagonR Stringray have been recently spied with the AMT gearbox.
In order to price its AMT models competitively, the Indo-Japanese carmaker has allied with Magnetti Marelli, the AMT kit supplier, to setup a unit within Maruti’s Mansesar facility.
The spyshot suggest that the AMT will be offered on the base trim (LXI) of the hatchback. It will be mated with a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder K-Series engine that churns out a maximum power of 68PS and 90Nm of torque. Since the manual variant of the WagonR returns a fuel economy of 20.51kmpl, the AMT model is expected to offer an equally impressive mileage figure.
As mentioned above, the Stingray, the premium version of the WagonR, too has been spied with AMT. Therefore, expect this too to be launched around the same time regular WagonR AMT comes in. The semi-automatic transmission equipped models are likely to be Rs. 30, 000 –Rs. 35, 000 pricier than their manual counterparts. The automaker is anticipating 30-40% sales from the existing automatic gear shift variants. Apart from AMT technology, Maruti Suzuki is also planning to offer Idling Stop system (start-stop system) on the WagonR.
Spy Image Courtesy - GW
