[dafpnp]

I just bought a pre loved Nano AMT XTA and continue it being loved.
This is primarily for congested city traffic while I also drive my Innova and City CVT.

The only thing that bothers me about Nano is that everytime I drive it, or rather start after a switch off, I have to put it in "Sport" mode because that's where I find comfort driving.

Is there any way the "sport" mode becomes default option instead of me pressing the toggle button every time the vehicle is started.

[vikram_d]

I don't think it is advisable to drive permanently in sports mode as I am pretty sure the gearbox was not designed to handle that mode permanently.

Sports mode is normally given in small cars with small capacity engines to primarily aid in overtaking. So I would personally not recommend full time sports mode.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

I too drive a Nano XTA and hardly ever felt the need for the sport mode. What I usually do is to be a bit heavy on the A - pedal. This makes the gear changes happen after a slightly more rpm / speed.
What I have noticed is - if I am gentle on the A-pedal, the gear changes happen at 20 (2nd gear), 30 (3rd gear) and 40 kmph for 4th gear while the 5th gear is engaged only after around 65kmph.
When I drive with a heavy right foot, the gear changes happen around 25 kmph for 2nd gear, around 40 kmph for 3rd gear and around 55kmph for 4th gear.

In any case, my Nano has been used only for in city, bumper to bumper traffic baring a couple of occasions when it hit the highway for around 500 km round trip. For the in city drives, I don't feel the need for sports mode given the max speed we can attain.

[GrammarNazi]

When you start the car it needs to be in neutral, at that time you literally have to simply press one tiny button. Frankly, it can't get much easier than that.

But IMHO you won't need to do this, drive it for a while, the car will generally become more responsive & the ECU too will adapt to your throttle input.

Originally Posted by vikram_d

I don't think it is advisable to drive permanently in sports mode as I am pretty sure the gearbox was not designed to handle that mode permanently.

Sports mode is normally given in small cars with small capacity engines to primarily aid in overtaking. So I would personally not recommend full time sports mode.

Tolerances are well calibrated. Nothing will happen.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by vikram_d

I
Sports mode is normally given in small cars with small capacity engines to primarily aid in overtaking. So I would personally not recommend full time sports mode.

Small cars? My Jaguar XJR 4.0L, V8, Supercharged, 400 HP has a button that says Sportmode too. It makes a difference from overtaking staggeringly fast to stupendously fast.

Unless the owners manual states specifically you can not use it full time, I would not worry about it doing any harm. It might hurt your fuel efficiency a bit though. But in the end it is your right foot that controls everything. Just because you put it in Sports mode doesn’t necessarily mean you floor the throttle on every occasion I would imagine.

If Sports mode feels more comfortable to drive, that should be fine.

I am not familiar with the Nano, but the basics of any Sport mode tends to be it changes the shift pattern. It usually shifts a little later, so you rev up a bit more before it shifts. That’s all.

On my Jaguar it does a few more things. (e.g. it pulls away in 1st gear instead of 2nd gear). But the basics tend to be same across all cars/boxes. Shift a little later.

Jeroen

[honeybee]

The suspension also feels a bit harder in the Nano in the Sports mode.


But when you think about it, it's probably because you are driving too fast over the road undulations :-D

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by honeybee

The suspension also feels a bit harder in the Nano in the Sports mode.

But when you think about it, it's probably because you are driving too fast over the road undulations :-D

In order for it to firm up the suspension it needs adjustable suspension in the first place. I know next to nothing about Nano’s. But I can tell you that a set of adjustable shocks I have on my car probably cost as much as a whole Nano.

Let me tell you, those shocks do not come cheap by any stretch of the imagination.

Jeroen

[condor]

Originally Posted by vikram_d

I don't think it is advisable to drive permanently in sports mode as I am pretty sure the gearbox was not designed to handle that mode permanently.

Actually, like any other vehicle, the Nano has been tested for higher than normal load, right from the begining. So sport mode should not be a problem.

[GTO]

Even at the luxury end, I don't recollect too many cars that will remain in 'Sport' mode after a restart. Perhaps, manufacturers don't want to enable this as the default option because Sport mode can mean (depending on the car):

- Increased rate of wear & tear due to higher revs
- Firmer suspension (expensive cars), thus a stiffer ride
- Snappy gearbox which can get jerky in some cars
- Heavier steering
- More noise (due to higher rpms)
- Increased fuel consumption. Don't want owners to go complaining about the gas-guzzling nature of their cars

[Rajeevraj]

I believe very few cars have the setup with a single AT mode with a button to switch to sports mode. Most cars will have a D and an S mode. So the question of making the Sports Mode default will not be relevant for the majority of cars out there. You will definitely need to move to D or S when starting.

So since it is not a common design approach, I believe there will be no simple approach to make such a thing default.

Edit: Thinking again, I may be wrong. Just recalled that the Nexon AMT I drove yesterday had the Rotary dial to switch modes- Which is nothing but a fancy button. And at the higher end, most vehicles I believe have such a switching mode.

[wilful]

Higher fuel consumption apart is there any real downside to driving in sport mode all the time? I mean all the time - both in town as well as the highway.
Isn't it a bit like driving around in a remapped car? Or is that not a correct parallel?

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by wilful

Higher fuel consumption apart is there any real downside to driving in sport mode all the time? I mean all the time - both in town as well as the highway.
Isn't it a bit like driving around in a remapped car? Or is that not a correct parallel?

Nope. The engine produces no more than the rated power output in Sports mode. The other modes will just dumb down the accelerator or make the shift points in the AT more Eco friendly or comfort oriented etc.

In some vehicles the Eco mode is just undriveable, City is a good balance and sports mode is Jerky and makes the flat spots in the engine`s power output more obvious. They may as well just leave it alone and give a well tuned A pedal instead.

A remap can produce more power, CAN and not necessarily will always.

[wilful]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Nope. The engine produces no more than the rated power output in Sports mode. The other modes will just dumb down the accelerator or make the shift points in the AT more Eco friendly or comfort oriented etc.

In some vehicles the Eco mode is just undriveable, City is a good balance and sports mode is Jerky and makes the flat spots in the engine`s power output more obvious. They may as well just leave it alone and give a well tuned A pedal instead.

A remap can produce more power, CAN and not necessarily will always.

Ok - I get it.
But if one drives in sports mode all the time (FE) apart, is there any other downside? I see some mixed opinions from different folk. For instance someone says - "Potentially a tad lower fuel economy, often a more enjoyable driving experience.
I would say in most cars less engine and transmission wear. At higher rpms for the shift at lighter throttle the shift is more desirable and has less wear>. Why? The non sport/performance mode is usually set up for fuel economy and it shifts at a point it is near lugging ad that is harder on main/rod bearing loads and long term could reduce engine life."

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by wilful

Ok - I get it.
But if one drives in sports mode all the time (FE) apart, is there any other downside? I see some mixed opinions from different folk. For instance someone says - "Potentially a tad lower fuel economy, often a more enjoyable driving experience.
I would say in most cars less engine and transmission wear. At higher rpms for the shift at lighter throttle the shift is more desirable and has less wear>. Why? The non sport/performance mode is usually set up for fuel economy and it shifts at a point it is near lugging ad that is harder on main/rod bearing loads and long term could reduce engine life."

Usually such things are taken care of while designing the drive train. With AT you do not have to worry about such things in general, ECU should take care of it.

For MT - Lugging the engine is not ideal for emissions equipment as well apart from damage to the said internal bits , therefore some of the BS6 vehicles are very aggressive when it comes to shutting the engine off - especially if they are not well geared for city use, you`ll stall them very easily and abruptly at times you do not expect it to happen otherwise. They force you to use appropriate gears or slip the clutch - something`s got to give.