[i74js]

From the company's point of view, they are able to keep even the behemoths like MSIL on their toes with KWID.

Frequent addition in engine and transmission lineup will keep the sales on boil and I am sure the 10K per month sale is very much sustainable with the addition of AMT.

The price point for AMT (if true) is also attractive and reasonable. I have not heard very many stories on bad ASS or niggles in the car; even the dealerships are happy with this new found love for their outlets by buyers which I could witness myself during Navratras as I accompanied a friend for delivery of 1.0 RXT and there were 31 KWIDs to be delivered (billing in excess of 1 Crore !) from that very outlet. He was number 14 in the queue and it took him about an hour and half after completion of paperwork and collection of gate pass to collect the car !

[jetsetgo08]

Off-topic but may be a useful post on how not to use AMT -

Source:Cartoq

[NiInJa]

The absence of manual mode worries me a little. While descending on steep slopes, how is the Kwid Easy-R going to use engine braking is worth pondering over. If we are supposed to use only the brakes in such cases, they better tweak it for reduced 'fading' effect.
A full auto with no manual mode would have suited for a car like Nano, or wait, maybe the next iteration of Kwid will have paddle shifters !

[deetjohn]

Looks like Renault didn't bother to fix the brake pedal. The car has had the same pedal right from early days.

Its a bit too narrow for an AT car. Even Alto AMT got a wide brake pedal.

[Wanderlust89]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

The absence of manual mode worries me a little. While descending on steep slopes, how is the Kwid Easy-R going to use engine braking is worth pondering over. If we are supposed to use only the brakes in such cases, they better tweak it for reduced 'fading' effect.

An AMT without manual mode!

Sounds strange. Forget descending and engine braking, how smooth is it going to ascend a hill I wonder. Alto K10 AMT keeps switching gears frequently on ascending slopes, that I prefer manual mode on ghat sections. The delayed shift timings upwards the slope would be an irritant and sometimes hardly predictable.

This is no CVT/DSG to ignore the manual mode. AMT is notorious to take its own sweet time to upshift. Overtaking needs careful planning. I pray Renault offers better shift timings at least and not play havoc with innocent customer's life.


First ever (at least in India) in history, a car without a gear lever is revolutionary!

But considering the technology on offer and betting on an AMT, can only be evolutionary.


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[ToyotaFan]

Originally Posted by GTO

In stop & go traffic, an AMT can struggle on steep inclines if it's an average driver behind the wheel. You need to judiciously use the handbrake.

What should be done to use engine braking while descent. In MT 1st and 2nd gears help in that. If we are only depending on brakes am pretty sure brake fade will b very common with these cars. In A star AT even without the manual mode the L mode does the job well.

[vsathyap]

Having the "M" mode is quite critical even with an AMT - I've observed that almost always - coming out of the basement of a mall/apartment/office, etc., - the uphill gradient is usually quite steep in most buildings. To save precious parking space, or to create more usable "square feet" that they can charge and make money from, builders often have horribly steep ramps coming out or going into their buildings. In such cases, while in the "D" mode, I tend to accelerate well before the ascent to gain momentum and start the climb. By the time the car has crossed 75% of the ascent, due to the momentum it already has, it auto-shifts to 2 and then all hell breaks loose!

The car suddenly lacks power, wheezes and whines and shudders, and then in what seems like ages, comes back to 1st, and then we need to build the momentum again to start the ascent and in all this confusion, panic acceleration & a wheel-spin or two is definitely on the cards!

Thankfully, I've had this experience on straight-up slopes and not those spiral/twisty ones - and during the early days of "learning" how to drive an AMT. I wouldn't be really pleased if I had a wheel-spin and a possible panic situation ascending a slope on "D" mode and the possibility of loss of control over the curvature of the slope, specially when a moron is tailgating me, inches from my rear bumper - literally trying to overtake me on the spiral ascent. This applies equally on mountainous / hilly roads where there are steep slopes along the uphill curve/ hairpin bends.

The "M" mode is a must for AMTs IMHO! I always use the "M" mode while going uphill or downhill - gives me much more control.

[GTO]

Thanks to Vijay Thampi for sharing the following!

The user manual of the Kwid 1.0L has details of the AMT knob. The user manual clearly states the procedure for parking - Slot the knob to D/R and use the handbrake.

The "creep feature" also finds a mention in the user manual. The procedure for using the Easy R at traffic lights is mentioned as "When stopped at traffic lights, with the gear engaged in “D”, keep the vehicle stationary by continuously pressing the brake pedal without changing the gear shifter to neutral".

[hybridpetrol]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Just talked to one of my trusted Renault sources and they say that the prices will be:

Rs 4.29 lacs for the Easy-R RxT 1.0 AMT, and
Rs 4.42 lacs for the Easy-R RxT 1.0 (O) AMT,

both ex-showroom.

That is just 32K premium over the 1.0 manual versions! If this is true, then for a premium of 55K (32K for AMT and 23K for 1.0), one can buy a 1.0 AMT instead of a 800cc manual Kwid.
The RxT price above is exactly the same as Alto K10 AMT Airbag! Kwid has more aspirational value as well in the market (SUV Looks), compared to Alto for the first time buyer.
Now let us wait for the official confirmation on the above price

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Just talked to one of my trusted Renault sources and they say that the prices will be:

Rs 4.29 lacs for the Easy-R RxT 1.0 AMT, and
Rs 4.42 lacs for the Easy-R RxT 1.0 (O) AMT,

both ex-showroom.

Highly likely!

I bought my RxT 1.0 (O) for Rs. 3.94 lacs ex-showroom.

But the on-road price will easily go upwards of Rs. 5.5 lacs. For instance, a 3.94 lac ex-showroom, after their standard accessories package(Rs. 12.5k which they will push it down our throat) , and a couple accessories like seat covers & mats took the on-road price to Rs. 5.08 lacs.

Expect on-road price in the range of Rs. 5.5-5.6 lacs. It will be more in cities like Bangalore. Again, dangerously close to Celerio AMT ZXI, which is clearly a bigger car with MSIL backup.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by Wanderlust89

First ever (at least in India) in history, a car without a gear lever is revolutionary!

Not the first ever. Revai was the first i guess. It had a knob on the dashboard on the right hand side of the steering wheel.
A couple of photos of the same from the internet





This is the first car with an IC engine without a gear lever

[RavenAvi]

Additional storage cubby hole in the centre, due to the missing gear lever.

(Source)

Initial driving impressions by Sergius Barretto are quite positive. Looks like the AMT could be another best-selling variant of the Kwid in the making.

[RavenAvi]

NDTV Auto's short review is out.

Excerpts:

The simple dial sits on the central console and has three positions - R (reverse), N (neutral), and D (drive). An innovation Renault decided it wants the car to sport - it does not move even in D, unless there is an accelerator input from the driver. The logic of that? Renault's market research says the creeping function on all AMTs was not popular amongst AMT users. So now you don't have to keep your foot on the brake at say a red light, on the Kwid AMT.

First accept that all AMTs will always take some getting used to, and will never be as smooth as a conventional automatic or CVT. Given that the level of smoothness on the Kwid is a surprise. There is a slight tug or hesitation in the 1st to 2nd gear change, but the rest of the gear changes are extremely smooth as AMTs go. Downshifts even more so - again a great surprise.

[Swarit19]

Sorry for asking such a newbie question but wouldn't that basically mean you being way more tired after a bumper to bumper traffic drive? Since from what I understand instead of you being able to lay back and just move the right foot slightly on the brake pedal, you will have to constantly switch between accelerator & brake all the time now right?

Just wondering how this "innovation" is more helpful for the intended use of an AMT in small city cars.

[AYP]

Won't a gear lever/shifter be much easy to operate than a rotary knob mounted in the centre console?

With a proper gear shifter (be it floor mounted or be present on the stalks) you can shift between the driving modes while being seated comfortably on the driver's seat. However, with that knob, the driver (taller guys especially) will have to stretch everytime he wants to change the modes. I guess this will be quite irritating and tiring.