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-   -   So, why don't you buy an Automatic? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/111215-so-why-dont-you-buy-automatic-22.html)

I guess this has more to do with supply and demand than anything else. The Swift and the Dzire have a waiting period of a couple of months and does not look like changing anytime soon. Therefore, they can afford to increase the price exorbitantly and still get away with it.

On the other hand the A-star is available on demand at any Maruti showroom so if they increase the pricing too much, no one will even consider the AT version.

When nithi posted about AT version prices of A* & Dzire, I was surprised that while ABS+AT was available in the A* for a mere 45K, in the Dzire the same package cost 1.25lakhs. So went to Dzire website to check whether the Dzire_AT gets anymore features than the MT version. But, no. Nothing other than ABS. So see no way to explain the exhorbitant price for the Dzire-AT.:Shockked:

OT here but, FYI, Jetta and Cruze falls into C+ segment and not D segment. Accord, Superb, Passat etc. fall into D segment and all of them comes with AT.

If you are looking into Cruze segment, why don't you try Corolla AT. It comes with 7 speed CVT with tiptronic mode.

Exactly. If DZire AT [with ABS] was available for 45K over Vxi, then it would have attracted lot of buyers. I would have booked one. I think Maruti does'nt care as it already has enough bookings for Manual versions anyway.

Is the AT box same in A Star and DZire? Also, Does ABS include EBD and BA for both A Star and DZire?

Regards!

Appropos my post #274 I did get a reply from Honda. The reply is essentially

With respect to your interest, we wish to inform you that at present we do not have any new launch related official information on Honda Jazz/ Brio with Automatic Transmission. However, we are sharing your feedback with the concerned department for future model references.

To me the word official does give some hope.

Are companies finally promoting automatics in India?
I see a full page ad (2 full pages in fact) on TOI here given by Ford extolling the virtues of it new Automatic Fiesta. Toyota also has in the recent past been making noises about its 'intelligent' CVT. :D
Gives one, reason to hope that there could be a greater choice in automatics (even in the hatch segment) in the coming days as car companies 'educate' the Indian customer on the pros of AT. But whether the customer will bite remains to be seen.

My situation was the exact opposite of yours; I drove an autobox in San Francisco for a couple of years and loathed every minute of it. If you've been to SF you'll know that it's one of the worst cities in the world to drive stick because it's full of slopes. But... i really missed driving stick. One of the best things about moving back home was the chance to start driving manual transmissions again and I'm never moving back to AT.

Well AT option is not present in all models and class of cars, the ones which carry a AT in <10L category are plain boring transmission.

I voted for option 2. Being a petrol head, I like the sound of gear change, staying in control of the gears and revving the engine as and when I like. I just can't bring myself to drive an AT.

Agree AT's are a boon in bumper-to-bumper but that removes the whole skill element of driving. Besides how many people in India own two cars, one for city, one for highway drives. Would an AT be a car to drive on highways? To experience the journey? To enjoy the drive. I don't think so.

you will be suprised how many have 2 cars in the houses , with increasing both members of couples working , it has become very common and i have an AT and a manual in the house , it is really pleasant to drive an AT in the traffic and also not worried about the better half bogged down by manual gear shifts

I suppose if I were constrained to drive an automatic full time for years and didn't have manuals cars in the house to enjoy along with the automatic, I would go crazy.

maybe the answer for my enjoying automatics in the gutter that are indian roads is to make sure I always continue to also have a manual to enjoy.

and if I go back to new york (as I intend to), I'll go back to a strictly manuals only regimen.

Tell me a good AT Hatch under 10L and I will get it. I want to avoid the 3+1 ATs of Hyundai?!

5 speed automatic hatch under 10 lacs? i don't think there are any

I voted for "Manual Transmission", as stated by GTO.
I love manual transmission and love the emotional connect of clicking gears.

I aware of the fun factor that a DSG offers, it is similar to an Italian feast filled with FATTY pastas and cheese to a finely crafted, calorie concious English breakfast. :)

It's what makes cars go way beyond "the machine" tag

As the topic is about ATs, let me share my experience of the buying decisions and discussions that ultimately made me buy ... you guessed it ... a manual!

A Little OT: Rewind: 1 year back - My wife says we must buy a smaller compact car for city driving as parking and navigating the Accent was getting a little tiresome in Bangalore's relentless traffic and "give the cautious driver a stare" attitude. We did some research and zeroed in on a used Santro Automatic (2009 model). Fast forward 10-15 days and after hours & hours of scouring for information on Team-BHP, we made up our mind to get the AT. The dealer expected price was about 3.99L and after negotiations, he came down to 3.75, not a paisa less. I had so many questions but couldn't post them here as I was not a member yet :Frustrati .. I was really not sure whether that was a good price to pick up that car. Add to it the constant phone calls by the dealer (almost blackmailing me) to get the car ASAP as another "party" had just shown interest in it. Thanks to Team BHP's threads, I did not fall for the dealers figments of imagination .. creating "interested parties" every 2-3 hours. The wifey was insistent on an AT as she had just been to a driving school and found MTs to be too "demanding" in terms of multi-tasking.

Fast forward 1 week and we're at the dealer, ready to discuss financing options and the paperwork to be done. I was about to put ink marks on the dotted line, when somehow, a sixth sense told us to wait just one more day. So we did.

Next morning, we went to Sagar Automobiles where we asked for small cars - and were shown the Alto and K10. I TD both and found the Alto 800 to be sluggish with AC on, 4 people in the car and up a slope - near Dairy Circle Flyover. Quick change of cars and I'm TD the K10. Two words to describe the feeling - "Instant love":D

After discussing more on the car and its price and features and after negotiating discounts, we came to a On-Road Price of 3.60L with added goodies, free sun film, mats, perfume, security system and the carpets were thrown in too.

Back to Topic, here's what broke the deal with AT: We're getting a spanking new car for 3.6L on one hand and a 2.5 year old car with a poor FE - by paying 15K more - I dont even think they belonged to different segments! That's what sealed the deal for me.

That's the way the cookie crumbled!