[TusharK]

Mahindra has introduced the automated manual transmission (AMT) on the W6 Diesel variant of the XUV300. It is priced at Rs. 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).



The XUV300 AMT is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that produces 115 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 300 Nm @ 1,500-2,500 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed AMT that has two modes - Auto and Manual. It has a creep function and a down-hill mode as well.

The compact SUV comes equipped with safety features such as Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Hill Start Assist.

The automated manual transmission option is also available on the W8 diesel and W8(O) diesel trims as well.

Link to Team-BHP News

[GTO]

That's 11.5 lakhs on the road.

The XUV300 is a heck of a crossover which feels more "Hyundai" than "Mahindra". However, AMTs aren't suited to such expensive cars. Their jerky nature & slow response time makes AMTs best suited to cheaper cars.

The problem is that all the diesel compact SUVs have AMTs only. Buyers who want a smoother experience will have to either switch to petrol (there are some amazing petrol AT compact SUVs), or move up a segment to the Creta / Seltos / XUV500.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by GTO

The problem is that all the diesel compact SUVs have AMTs only. Buyers who want a smoother experience will have to either switch to petrol (there are some amazing petrol AT compact SUVs), or move up a segment to the Creta / Seltos / XUV500.

Dunno whats stopping them from getting a proper AT in these cars.

Mahindra did it for XUV5OO by putting a nice Aisin box and Tata did it with Hexa using a Punch powerglide transmission.

Why not repeat that lower down where the volumes are people are craving for a proper AT?

[tarik.arora]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Why not repeat that lower down where the volumes are people are craving for a proper AT?

I think the answer lies in the quoted text. I am sure a very small portion of buyers are craving for a proper AT, for the rest, an AMT is just fine. The upfront cost and FE advantage that the AMT offers, outweighs the shortcomings.

[Sridhar K]

From the posts in XUV300 ownership thread on social media, W6 seems to be the best selling version and offering an AMT with ex-showroom price of < 10 lakhs (the tax is less if the sticker prices is <10 lakhs) may not be a bad idea. Some of the service advisers across Tata and Mahindra seems to recommend to take vehicles with ex showroom price of < 10 Lakhs to save on tax.

I would have preferred a proper AT but bought this one heck of a vehicle as GTO puts it (W8 O) due to various positives and fitment to my requirements despite the shortcomings of AMT and lack of choices in my budget range.

Ecosport, Venue were not available in the top trim and space was a constraint. XUV300 AMT W8(O)s premium over Nexon was justifiable with the additional feature set, better refinement, ride quality, space and my preference to try Mahindra over Tata this time. For 4 lakhs less, I got a Creta equivalent with a lesser boot space and AMT instead of AT.

Cross posting my initial impressions of being a owner of the AMT for the benefit of any potential buyers. Was surprised that somebody traced me on the XUV 300 whatsapp group, basis my posts here to ask for specific feedback

Initial impressions: 650 KMs update (Mahindra XUV300 : Official Review)

Initial Impressions -2: 2200 KMs update (Mahindra XUV300 : Official Review)

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Dunno whats stopping them from getting a proper AT in these cars.

Diesel + AT for these small cars will be an India-only phenomenon. EcoSport has Petrol + AT thanks to the USA & other markets. Ditto with the Venue. The volumes won't match the investment required for a conventional AT built just for India.

Mahindra did it for XUV5OO by putting a nice Aisin box and Tata did it with Hexa using a Punch powerglide transmission.

99% of the sales of the large UVs are diesel only, unlike say an XUV300 or EcoSport where petrol will have either half or more of the sales share. Plus, a majority of 20-lakh rupee customers love ATs.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by GTO

Diesel + AT for these small cars will be an India-only phenomenon. EcoSport has Petrol + AT thanks to the USA & other markets. Ditto with the Venue. The volumes won't match the investment required for a conventional AT built just for India.

Counterpoint: Honda Amaze diesel CVT is only sold in India, yet Honda did all the R&D for crating the only diesel CVT engine ever. So not being able to recoup investment for India specific product doesn't seem to be a valid argument.

[comfortablynumb]

I hope they have learnt some lessons from the issues that TUV300 AMT owners faced.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...olve-them.html (TUV300 AMT problems & Mahindra's inability to solve them)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...continued.html (Mahindra TUV300 AMT discontinued)

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by GTO

Diesel + AT for these small cars will be an India-only phenomenon. EcoSport has Petrol + AT thanks to the USA & other markets. Ditto with the Venue. The volumes won't match the investment required for a conventional AT built just for India.

99% of the sales of the large UVs are diesel only, unlike say an XUV300 or EcoSport where petrol will have either half or more of the sales share. Plus, a majority of 20-lakh rupee customers love ATs.

I'm ok with Ford and Hyundai since they will see global picture and get only one that works in other markets so the Venue DCT and Ecosport Dragon AT makes sense.

But Mahindra and Tata are home grown cars. They developed a superb AT for the Hexa which hardly sold 1000 units at peak.

The XUV3OO does healthy numbers and so does the Nexon. Even if they got a proper AT in petrol, forget diesel it would have been a much better option considering both these cars were targeted at younger crowd which had some semblance of enthusiasts in their target audience.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Honda Amaze diesel CVT is only sold in India, yet Honda did all the R&D for crating the only diesel CVT engine ever.

True, but do keep in mind that they already had the CVT ready (Mahindra doesn't have any AT for small engines), and the mating itself required some compromises (e.g. restricted power). What Honda did was an exception rather than the norm and they were amply rewarded for it.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

But Mahindra and Tata are home grown cars. They developed a superb AT for the Hexa which hardly sold 1000 units at peak.

Agreed. But Tata knew that without an AT, the car would've sunk as the 20-lakh segment is dominated by ATs only. One of the reasons for the Harrier's failure is the lack of an AT.

Petrol AT sells in USA, China, Europe etc. This is why we have so many petrol AT options across segments.

Diesel AT would only sell in India, and a few parts of Europe.

[padmrajravi]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I'm ok with Ford and Hyundai since they will see global picture and get only one that works in other markets so the Venue DCT and Ecosport Dragon AT makes sense.

But Mahindra and Tata are home grown cars. They developed a superb AT for the Hexa which hardly sold 1000 units at peak.

I think there is a severe lack of competence at Tata and Mahindra when it comes to mating proper ATs. For both these players,the AT game is new. It is different for the international manufacturers who has seen and sold AT cars for a long time.

XUV500 and Hexa were their first experience mating automatics to their home grown engines. And now they are dealing with engines supplied by third parties. Right from supplier contracts to integration and servicing ATs - Both these companies suffer from lack of experience. This new found love of ATs in India has affected Tata and Mahindra more than any other manufacturers.

[racer_ash]

Does the W6 petrol too get an AMT then?

If so, any idea what is the price? If not, why not?

[artemis_fowl]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Dunno whats stopping them from getting a proper AT in these cars.
Why not repeat that lower down where the volumes are people are craving for a proper AT?

I believe cost is also a factor. Adding a TC should easily jack up the price by about a lakh. Then, people will again start calling the car “overpriced”, and inevitably will compare it to the Creta and the like.

Also, people don’t really seem to mind living with a jerky AMT. The Swift and the Grand i10 Nios are the only hatches to offer a diesel auto box. But, they don’t seem to be selling like hot cakes. So looks like a proper gearbox isn’t a big issue with the buyers.

Originally Posted by GTO

Diesel + AT for these small cars will be an India-only phenomenon. EcoSport has Petrol + AT thanks to the USA & other markets. Ditto with the Venue. The volumes won't match the investment required for a conventional AT built just for India.

+1 to that. Case in point: The 1.6 diesel and AT in the Creta are India-specific changes, and are not offered anywhere else.