[diffsoft]

At last we may be seeing car makers taking some initiatives on Automatics (AT) on lower segments.

Fiesta's AT on 2 trims was a surprise. So was the pleasant surprise tweet by Siddharth Patankar that "Ford MD Boneham says expect more new launches with automatic transmission from Ford in the coming year. Auto EcoSport seems confirmed! SVP"

Today's article in Business Line has a short article on that. Business Line : Industry & Economy / Marketing : Ford, Maruti take U-turn on their automatics strategy

I am happy to get more options in AT in the compact / sedan C segment. So should the 52% odd BHPians above who are looking for AT in their next car or rue that there's no AT in their car choice.

Cheers,

[sgiitk]

If Honda does not oblige with an AT version of the Brio or Jazz then I will be forced to look at the Fiesta and the D'zire. Main issue will be the rear visibility. I do not want the shoddy (3+1) AT of Hyundai with the old(er) Gamma engine in the i20.

[infotech58]

Originally Posted by diffsoft

At last we may be seeing car makers taking some initiatives on Automatics (AT) on lower segments.

Fiesta's AT on 2 trims was a surprise. So was the pleasant surprise tweet by Siddharth Patankar that "Ford MD Boneham says expect more new launches with automatic transmission from Ford in the coming year. Auto EcoSport seems confirmed! SVP"

that is a very good move. i know of many people who end up not buying an AT car because either they are very expensive or are not of the latest technology (3 speed or 4 speed ATs are still being sold in our country). i would love to drive a nice hatchback (Brio would be the ideal choice) with AT as my daily drive.

[sgiitk]

Just wrote an e-mail to Honda (customer_relations@hondacarindia.com) asking then for an Automatic Jazz or Brio. Let is see how they respond, if at all.

[dilbee]

Fiesta AT on the Style version was a pleasant surprise. Of late I have been driving in a lot of traffic and a need for AT has risen in my case. With the Fiesta launch it has become very tempting. But I also have a keen eye on the Ecosport. If AT is confirmed on the Ecosport, I might very well wait for that.

[swiftdiesel]

I wont buy an automatic because it is boring to drive and the car feels lifeless. Many would argue it's a boon to drive in traffic but I have no complaints. I take a longer route to avoid traffic. Also the engine note of an automatic car sounds strained and that's a huge turn off for me.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

I wont buy an automatic because it is boring to drive and the car feels lifeless. Many would argue it's a boon to drive in traffic but I have no complaints. I take a longer route to avoid traffic. Also the engine note of an automatic car sounds strained and that's a huge turn off for me.

This you are saying based on your experience of actually driving an automatic or just based on perceptions. The modern automatic with triptronics or paddle shifts or DSGs are quite exciting to drive as well. One can crawl in auto mode in traffic and shift to manual mode at any suitable opportunity. I used ATs extensively during my short US visits and fell in love with them.

[penlax]

People who diss automatics are the ones who have never driven one.
The sheer joy and relaxation that an automatic brings to rush hour driving is something has has to be experienced.
Once tried, the experience is permanently addictive.
With the modern dual clutch technology and triptronic/paddle shifts automatics are THE way forward giving convenience as well as the rush of control!

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by joslicx

This you are saying based on your experience of actually driving an automatic or just based on perceptions. The modern automatic with triptronics or paddle shifts or DSGs are quite exciting to drive as well. One can crawl in auto mode in traffic and shift to manual mode at any suitable opportunity. I used ATs extensively during my short US visits and fell in love with them.

Well said! Most people arrive at a conclusion without actually driving one.

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

I wont buy an automatic because it is boring to drive and the car feels lifeless. Many would argue it's a boon to drive in traffic but I have no complaints. I take a longer route to avoid traffic. Also the engine note of an automatic car sounds strained and that's a huge turn off for me.

I dearly hope this is your opinion based off experience, but I fear it isn't since your opinion is just so out of sync with the way modern automatics are shaping up. It smacks of personal bias and an opinion founded out of hearsay, but without saying anything further I'd simply ask you to drive a modern automatic and then offer an opinion. I'd even offer you the keys to my car for a drive just to prove my point to you, but the sheer distance between us eliminates that possibility, I guess!

Would you mind telling us which automatic car it was that sounded strained to you?

[NPV]

Seeing this thread very late - Automatics are good from driving comfort perspective. When you also have cruise control, it's pure bliss on those really long drives. In fact I would say that's what helped me do several 1000+ mile trips on weekends while in the US few years ago.
However, in the India context I do have concerns about the fuel efficiency dipping in case of automatics and also the range of automatics available is so few and far between. Hence I would rather enjoy the stick shifts/manual transmission vehicles (at least for now).

[urajkumar]

I have already made up my mind that Automatic will be my next choice but the truth is there is hardly any choice currently and it is so expensive in India. I want to buy an SUV but an autobox sedan itself is 10 + lakhs putting a Automatic SUV out of reach for me. I am thrilled on the Fiesta Automatic pricing but waiting for the Eco sport to be launched by this october. Hope they launch the Automatic along with the Manual version instead of delaying the launch to another date to keep tempo & interest level high!

[Thad E Ginathom]

in the India context I do have concerns about the fuel efficiency dipping in case of automatics

"Fuel efficiency" (I hate this term that the marketing men have foisted on india) is greatest when a driver is in the right gear all the time. An automatic is probably better at this than most drivers.

Your driving style may be very different, but we also hears about fuel efficiency from drivers who love a manual gearbox because they enjoy the sensation of accelerating hard in first and second gears. Driving like this absolutely disqualifies us (yes, it includes me) from even using the words "fuel efficiency!"

[supremeBaleno]

@Thad, what does FE have to do with India alone ? It is a universal thing to work towards more efficient engines, given the non-replenishable nature of hydrocarbon fuels. Infact, a car with good FE gives me as much a high as one with good drivability. And if both are available in a single package, what more can a man ask for ?

But yeah, you do have a point about the machine being probably better than most drivers in selecting the proper gear for that rpm/speed.

@NPV, you do have a point about limited options in AT currently available. But ATs are gaining in popularity here (checkout the A*-ATs on the forum - a car that sells badly in MT form) and sooner or later manufacturers will provide them in all their cars.

@urajkumar : Drive like an "angle" ? Or did you mean "angel" ?

[Guna]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

"Fuel efficiency" (I hate this term that the marketing men have foisted on india) is greatest when a driver is in the right gear all the time. An automatic is probably better at this than most drivers.

This is not really true. The conventional ATs with torque converters have 'power loss' which is the main reason why the FE is relatively low.
Automatics are also relatively heavier (by 50 KGs at least)
Automatics have a slightly different pattern in changing gears then how drivers would normally change. If you accelerate hard from the start, they are likely to hold to a lower gear (2nd mostly) and would up shift only when you ease of the pedal. This is unlike a manual where the drivers shift the gears as the car gains speed.
Automatics also tend to visit the lower gears more often. It is very common to pass a road hump in a 3rd (or 2nd in worst case) in a manual car. but the same hump, the AT will momentarily go to the 1st gear.
Best evidence is the FE of the AT cars around relative to their manual counterparts. Manual i10 gives an FE of around 12 kmpl in the city while the AT struggles to deliver even 10 kmpl.