[thehighwayman]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Both will co-exist but AT's share will increase several fold from where it stands today.

I agree. For e.g. in my city more than half the Jazzs that were booked were CVT versions.It might not hold true pan India but sure makes a statement.

[Lalvaz]

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

You paraphrased it in that way. There is no direct quote from him saying so. The number of pedestrians, two wheeler users who die are considerably high (25% of road accident deaths according to data from SLF). So he has a point in asking if there is a stat saying that Airbags might reduce the fatality rate in India.

Also you do know that votes cannot be changed in this poll right? So people who now have a car of their choice in AT cannot change their votes. Currently 53% have preferred their cars to be ATs but couldn't do so because of lack of choices which has changed considerably now.

Anyway, it's a free world, you have your choice, I have mine.

I have already gone a lot off-topic in my reply, so Peace out!

Yup, we digressed quite a bit, which is why I won't continue this debate either.

Nice signature though: Searching for a reliable automatic car

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by pamiboy

Very true. But most of the technology you've mentioned already exists in the top range luxury cars. Mercedes distronic for example does almost everything you mentioned. It can travel through congested lanes (with proper lane markings of course) or it can be set to follow a car at night (even doing 90 degree turns autonomously). Intelligent cruise control takes care of automatic acceleration and braking at higher speeds on the highway. The one thing it won't do is stop at a red signal on its own unless a car in front has stopped (which I presume is due to legal reasons more than technological feasibility). So mostly we are there at least in technology aspect.

Having driven many cars with such features, I am not sure they can detect a red light yet. There can be many sets of lights including brakelights and the system can get confused. Most such vehicles have a front facing camera under the rear view mirror that sends signals to a computer which processes lane change and the approach rate towards the vehicle in front. Some also have a radar to calculate distance. Google cars can process traffic lights but only after extensive gps coordinates have been provided to them detailing the location of such traffic signals. I do agree with your overall point of course.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by Lobogris

Having driven many cars with such features, I am not sure they can detect a red light yet. There can be many sets of lights including brakelights and the system can get confused. Most such vehicles have a front facing camera under the rear view mirror that sends signals to a computer which processes lane change and the approach rate towards the vehicle in front. Some also have a radar to calculate distance. Google cars can process traffic lights but only after extensive gps coordinates have been provided to them detailing the location of such traffic signals. I do agree with your overall point of course.

well in future you would have connectivity (a modem) in the traffic lights themselves so that autonomous cars would know (by direct communication) if the lights are green or red without any need for detecting! Similarly there will be connectivity in the tarmac as well and that will help cars keep in lanes (or with switching lanes etc)

[RavenAvi]

According to ratings agency ICRA, 15% of all new cars sold in India will be equipped with automatic transmissions by FY2020, which will be a big rise from the current 5% penetration the AT transmissions command in the Indian market in FY2016.

Subrata Ray, senior VP, Co-head, Corporate Sector Ratings, ICRA:

“The utility vehicle segment, which currently has relatively lower AT penetration, will also witness an upshift with some of the recent launches in the compact UV segment like the Creta, BR-V, TUV 3OO as well as large UVs like the Innova Crysta and Ford Endeavour are already available with an AT variant and the acceptance level is also encouraging.”

Considered by many as a luxury only a few years back, the acceptance of AT boxes has increased in recent times because of rising awareness among customers of all segments of cars, and car companies offering AT boxes on even their entry-level cars such as the Tata Nano and the Maruti-Suzuki Alto K10.

The rapidly deteriorating traffic situation in most cities and also the lesser cost margins between manual and automatic transmissions due to advancement in car technology, has also contributed to the rise in AT acceptance in the Indian auto scene.

Modern AT boxes, specially the AMT-equipped ones, have successfully addressed the low fuel efficiency factor traditionally associated with ATs. Nowadays, modern CVT, DCT and AMT transmissions boast of better fuel efficiency figures than their manual counterparts.

Autocar Professional

[coolmind]

I voted for the last option.
"My next choice will be Automatic."
Few reasons have already been listed out by GTO though, to conclude,
1. Auto has come so near to manual to in terms of optimization of power.
2. Difference of cost of fuel has come down between petrol and diesel.
3. Increase in volumes for auto has made them affordable.
4. Last but not the least, horrible city traffic.

[motorworks]

I think its the cost that is a big deterrent even now. The only car where automatics exist in every variant is the Yaris.

When I was scouting for a new drive about 4 months ago, it made sense to look at an automatic considering the kind of Bangalore traffic I drive in. And I did TD City Petrol Auto , Verna Petrol and Diesel Auto.

The petrol city and the Verna automatics were nearly 14L on road Bangalore and I felt it was very expensive for what it actually offered. Convenience aside, I could not convince myself to look at these cars. I did end up with a Creta 1.6 Diesel SX Manual which was around 15L. Reason, I found the Creta to be far more VFM than the petrol autos! The car was clearly one segment above, at least that is the perception in the market and it was diesel. Thankfully the Creta has a very light clutch unlike my earlier Rapid and it is not that much of a pain to drive in traffic. What I am going to do is get a small automatic when I do trade my wifeys Brio sometime next year so that I can alternate between both these cars. And by then I hope all auto companies replicate the approach of the Yaris.

[scythian]

I voted for "Other reason". For many cars (under 10 Lakhs), automatics are not available in the top variant. The trade-off doesn't sit well, especially when safety features are involved.

[deehunk]

I started feeling pain in my knees everytime I drove my car, sometimes it used to be really bad. This changed my mind to look for a car with auto transmission. I bought an AMT variant of Duster because it was within my budget plus it had the best ride quality in its segment. This decision has been a boon to my legs and has reignited my passion for long drives.

[nmenon]

Made multiple selections.

Mainly my reason is that these AMT's which fit my budget and requirements are just not good.
Been struggling with an XTA Nano which seems to change gears at a whim and not when you expect it to and downshifts in Manual mode almost at the same time as I do resulting in double downshifts at times.

Besides currently the primary reason is that the AT option is not available in the car of my choice (Freestyle).

I don't mind a TC or DCT or even a CVT (in a pinch) but the feeling of control and the fun of driving a Manual Transmission currently is too much to ignore.

Maybe the next time I consider buying a car fitting in my budget and requirements that has a decent AT, I will consider it if it has the same level of equipment as the equivalent MT variant.