[VeluM]

Originally Posted by Mik

So yes, a Sangria Red GenX Nano AMT shall be joining the family soon

Congratulations in advance! Good choice, with quality being the best since launch and quite at par with the competition. Did you get a discount?

Any news of whether it will be replaced by the Pelican or will they sell together. Sell being relative, since the Nano doesn't really sell much at the moment.

Originally Posted by Mik

5. Cute -- or as she said it "Too cuuuute"
6. Distracting engine noise.

Sounds like Nano was chosen before the drive itself

Get some good damping material and line the boot (underneath the carpet, above the heat shield). This should reduce engine noise to acceptable limits within the car. I think a BHPian had done such a DIY and mentioned it in their ownership thread.

[Mik]

Originally Posted by VeluM

Congratulations in advance! Good choice, with quality being the best since launch and quite at par with the competition. Did you get a discount?

Any news of whether it will be replaced by the Pelican or will they sell together. Sell being relative, since the Nano doesn't really sell much at the moment.



Sounds like Nano was chosen before the drive itself

Get some good damping material and line the boot (underneath the carpet, above the heat shield). This should reduce engine noise to acceptable limits within the car. I think a BHPian had done such a DIY and mentioned it in their ownership thread.

Discounts were: Free AMC (3.8k) + Free Insurance (13k -- it actually costs them 5.8k) + 5k Cash Discount + 2.5k in lieu of gold coin.

They are selling the Pelican white alongside. The Sangria I am getting is a May manufacture so not sure if they are stopping this colour.

Thanks for the heads-up on the damping material. I will probably use this car as my test-bed before I do a DIY on the Figo too

[hemanth.anand]

We were looking for an Automatic less in the 5 Lakh bracket for my wife
The contenders were Alto K10 AMT, Tata Nano AMT and Kwid AMT.

Alto K10 AMT
Visited a crowded Suzuki showroom with 20-30 customers and 100s of executives making it look like a fair than a car showroom. Test drive vehicle was unavailable. they took my contact details and told that they would come back. They did come back the next day and fixed an appointment with me. the SA came home with the car. I could take a test drive to my satisfaction and I checked all kinds of roads

Pros:

• Look and feel of the interiors- The last Alto i had sat in was a 2005 Alto VX and a 2011 Alto 800. This was a big improvement over that
• How it drives-I was impressed with the Celerio and this was no different in terms of driving and it was perfect for our needs

Cons:

• NVH levels - I know I shouldn't compare it but having recently sat in a Celerio, this felt more noisy. Being used to a Petrol Punto also didn't help me . But it was still way better than a Datsun Go or the M800 we had 7-10 years ago.

Storage space and rear seat is less but for our use, the rear seat will double up as storage space and so we were not worried too much about this.


Tata Nano AMT
Then, we went to the nearest Tata showroom for the Nano AMT test drive. As we were waiting for the TD vehicle, the specs, looks and price gave me a very good feel about it. Of course I always liked the cute looks and small size of the vehicle. We took a test drive and here too I took a satisfactory TD with many types of challenges thrown to the vehicle

Pros:

• Cabin Space-for such a small vehicle, it amazing how much of cabin space the Nano provides.
• Pricing- Cheapest automatic of all. Who doesn't want to spend less? OTR was in the 4 lakh bracket
• Seating position- My wife could see it all and he was happy about this. Especially since she is used to the "nothing is visible" looks in my Punto
• Power steering-One thing the car was missing in its first versions. This feature makes it such a VFM proposition

Cons:

• Engine sound-Has always been my complaint with this car and even though it is better, it still doesn't sound good.
• Pathetic brakes-The brakes just isn't good and it was scary a couple of times. This was the deal breaker for me. The main reason for purchasing a car is for a safe commute for my wife who is now using two wheeler. This would still give me some nerves and will continue to be a point of worry. So Decided there itself against the Nano

Renault Kwid AMT
Visited the Renault showroom and the AMT was still not available at the dealership. Nor was the price list. Took a TD of the manual just for the sake and took the price list. With no offers on the Kwid, I estimated an OTR price of 5.5 Lakhs (manual was 5 Lakhs) in Bangalore. When the AMT was finally Launched, The absence of Manual mode creep function was the deal breaker. I didn't take a TD after that and the decision was easily made.

Alto K10 it will be

[Chethan B G]

We were in the look-out for a small city-car with AMT. Car is intended to be used within the city for short distances of about say 10 Kms one-way. Features like AC/PS/AMT are desired. Front disk brakes would be nice IMO..

We have the following cars in mind, not necessarily in the same order of preference:

1. NANO GenX
2. Alto K10

Alto has an advantage of Disk brakes, where as, NANO has better safety features in terms of crash resistance. None of them have ABS, even as an option.

Also, we are not sure about the other options that we have, under the price range of 5L OTR Bangalore. Our preference is mainly on Safety / Driveability / Ride quality / built quality and not on extra features. "Driver seat hight adjust" would have been a valuable feature to have, but non of the cars in this price range has it? Any suggestions and opinions will be of great help.

Also, is there any advantage of taking delivery before this month-end? Are there any Pre-GST offers on these cars?

Thanks in Advance!!

[AkMar]

Renault Kwid is another option you have in this segment. However, Alto K10 AMT would be my choice amongst these contenders.

Celerio LXi(O) AMT would be out of your mentioned budget. However, if you can stretch your budget for it, then it is a significant upgrade in many aspects like ride quality, build quality, safety. Else, in this budget Alto K10 it should be.

EDIT: I faintly remember there being a discount of 20,000 on the Celerio. Kindly confirm if it is still going on. This could bring Celerio further within your reach

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

We were in the look-out for a small city-car with AMT.

Why don't you look at something like a used A-Star AT? Should be a much better option than the Nano or the Alto.

[Rajeevraj]

• Look for a used A-Star AT. A friend bought a 2013 minimally run for a price lesser than a new Nano. As a bonus it comes with ABS too and is definitely better built than the Nano or Alto.
  
• Bimal True Value had a couple of almost new Celerio's also for around 4.5-5L. 2016 Model. This was a couple of months back.
  
• You *may* be able to get a Brio/Micra AT for maybe a little more than 5L. Proper AT boxes, ABS, Airbags.
  
• Worth looking at the Tiago AMT also. But I guess that will cross 6L.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

We were in the look-out for a small city-car with AMT.

Can you up your budget, if possible, and take a test drive of the Wagon-R AMT?
Am sure it will tick all the boxes that you are looking for. It will be slightly more than your present budget, but overall possibly the most practical choice in this segment.

[VW2010]

I picked a Nano AMT.

Positives -
- Slow as you know what. So safe for women in my home driving it. Gives me peace of mind that the max she can cause damage is a bent cycle wheel rim.
- Space bigger than my Jetta for carrying 5 people- Grown ups
- Great AC and beats my Jetta in that compartment as well
- Small and easy to park and a genuinely brilliant engine. Its a marvel in engineering terms to see this car pull 5 folks with no feel for load.

Cons

- Slow as you know what
- Cannot do those overtake the car in front of you at will unless that car is parked stationary
- Not meant for driving pleasure


If i were in the market to pick an AMT at that price new my choice would probably be KWID for its better engine. KWID AMT is definitely better than Nano and also looks and sounds like a proper car.

If not Kwid it would be Nano only.

[girimajiananth]

Last I checked, there was a used, red colour A star automatic with 23K on the Odo meter at Sagar automobiles. Asking price was 3L. Do check if they have it in stock still. Are you particular on a new car ?

[iceman7]

As much as I like the Nano, I wouldn't pick any of these.

Reason is simple - For this day and age, none of these 3 cars are safe enough and are neanderthal in terms of safety.

[VW2010]

Reason is simple - For this day and age, none of these 3 cars are safe enough and are neanderthal in terms of safety.

Unless you are going to use this car for only city commutes. The car is safer than any two wheeler, auto and even some cabs. All these cars are capable enough to perform daily task while light on pocket and greedy on space usage.

To me neanderthal in terms of safety is a car build in bamboo sticks with engine spitting fire and potentially causing a fire hazard on its body and structure. More like yabidabidoooo years of cars.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

Also, we are not sure about the other options that we have, under the price range of 5L OTR Bangalore.

Was in the same boat last December and finally ended up with an Alto K10. We were only interested in the top variants of AMT.

Nano was rejected only because of the brakes. it's scary at times! although it was a lakh lesser (~4Lakhs OTR Bangalore)
Kwid was rejected only because of the absence of Manual mode. With so many uphill and downhill roads in the city, I didn't want an AMT without Manual mode (~5.5Lakhs OTR Bangalore)
Alto scored decently in all areas if not better and was a well rounded package of the three cars. (~5Lakhs OTR Bangalore)

Also small car prices are set to increase marginally(1 or 2 %) after GST. So buying in definitely better but no pre-GST offers can be expected.

[Chethan B G]

Thanks a ton for your suggestions Akmar, vb-san, Rajeevraj, Arjab, VW2010, Girimajiananth, iceman7 and hemanth.anand !! It was very helpful !!

As we were keen on depreciation benefits, we narrowed down on buying a new car. Also, the warranty which accompanies the new car, was an important factor.

As the usage and parking space was very limited, we did not want to stretch further than 5 lakhs; As more expensive cars tend to be more bigger in size.

We had been to the Maruthi showroom (Kalyani Motors, BG Road) today evening. Took a test drive of Alto K10 AMT and was satisfied. There was an offer (Pre-GST) going on for the ALTO, which had; 4 year warranty (2+2), free B2B Insurance (first year) and Rs.35,000 /- cash discount. There was another Rs.20,000 exchange bonus and Rs.10,000 loyalty bonus, for which, we were not eligible. Other than this, I haggled around a bit and got anti-rust coating and mud-flaps for free. I didn't opt for the accessories kit which costs about Rs.2,850/-

We took a decision to go with ALTO K10 Vxi (O) White and booked the car.

OTR was Rs.5,24,133/- and after all discounts, we have to pay Rs.4,90,000/- This includes 4 year warranty + B2B Insurance for the first year + Rs. 35,000 cash discount + Anti-rust coating + Mud-flaps + Reverse parking sensor (Rs.4,500)..

There was no ready stock. Car will be billed by this month end and will be ready for delivery after registration, by 1st week of July. Registration will be done once I complete PDI. As we are traveling next month, we will take delivery by 10th of August. I will definitely post my experience after that!!

I once again thank you all !!

As I am new to the AMT technology, I had a couple of questions:

1. AMT usage itself looks pretty simple. But is there any specific precaution that the user needs to be aware off, while driving? To avoid excessive clutch wear, to be specific.

2. In a water-logged area, what precaution should the driver take, other than using manual gear shift? Is ALTO K10 prone to issues arising from water logged roads during normal rains? In Bangalore, in some areas (Bannerghatta road for example), water level on the road can go up-to a feet during rain.

Thanks in Advance!!

[Torino]

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

As I am new to the AMT technology, I had a couple of questions:

1. AMT usage itself looks pretty simple. But is there any specific precaution that the user needs to be aware off, while driving? To avoid excessive clutch wear, to be specific.

2. In a water-logged area, what precaution should the driver take, other than using manual gear shift? Is ALTO K10 prone to issues arising from water logged roads during normal rains? In Bangalore, in some areas (Bannerghatta road for example), water level on the road can go up-to a feet during rain.

Thanks in Advance!!

Congrats Chethan! Driving the Alto AMT is simple and easy and you can get the hang of it after driving few kilometers. There are no specific precautions but only the accelerator input. Be gentle with the the A pedal in stop-go and when getting off the line. Go easy on the A pedal when the AMT is shifting. These will ensure there is minimum to zero jerks while driving.

I was driving my Alto AMT in 1 feet of water on a regular basis during the Chennai floods in 2015 and I had no issues. My Alto AMT is now at 49,000kms and going strong.