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Originally Posted by V-16  India is warming up to automatics. I know of many persons who have converted from stick shifts to autos once they have tried them. They are literally converts. Before trying autos everyone has a wrong notion that an auto is very sluggish and a gas guzzler but in fact its quite the contrary. It all depends on the driving style. Agreed that an auto consumes marginally more than a manual and compared to a manual it is slightly sluggish as there is no control over the shifts but then in a crowded city like Bombay an auto is a boon. Due to lack of availability of better cars, if Tata offers the Indica with an auto box, I will be there in the line to get one. I am waiting for the Auto i10
I already have an Auto Santro and theres a literal fight in the house as to who is going to take her out. |
From my driving experience, I can definitely say that an auto is not sluggish, at least on the road. It may look sluggish in terms of paper/technical timings. But real life makes no perceptible difference, unless you want to set a 0-100 kmph record. Of course, it is less FE, but that also depends on how you drive, isn't it. Even using an AC is less FE, but that is considered a necessity, unlike an AT. In fact, AC imposes the same FE penalty as an AT.
As to the thread subject, of course Indica AT would be desirable, but then
1. is Tata developing it.
2. will it sell, considering that most people may be buying the Indica for its cheap to run USP, and may not be willing to accept lower FE.
3. will it be reliable or will Tata will test the AT on the Indian public before improving it for the world markets.