[Aditya]

Earlier this month, the Maruti Jimny was launched in India (read the full review here). The offroader is available with only one engine - a 1.5L, 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol unit that develops 103 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 134 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. However, Maruti has provided a choice of two transmissions - manual and automatic. Both transmissions come with a four-wheel drive transfer case.



The manual transmission is a 5-speed unit. The MT version of the Jimny is cheaper than the AT by Rs. 1.2 lakh. Additionally, it has a better ARAI-certified FE figure (16.94 km/l). On the flip side, the gearshift is heavy and notchy. The clutch is heavy too. Also, because of the three pedals, the footwell is cramped.





The automatic transmission is an old 4-speed torque converter unit. While 4-speed sounds old today, one must remember that this transmission has been around for a long time and is extremely reliable. It is also smooth in operation, which should make the Jimny easier to drive especially in bumper-to-bumper traffic. However, as mentioned earlier, the Jimny AT is more expensive to buy and has a lower ARAI-certified FE figure (16.39 km/l) than the MT.



So which transmission would you choose?

[GTO]

Jimny AT, without a doubt.

For one, I've given up on MTs entirely (unless it's a sports car). Second, the Jimny's AT might be antique & outdated ("OD" button from the '90s included, "L" mode, no manual mode), but it is smooth, has proven reliability and is quite satisfactory within the city.

Does the job. The AT is the one I'd buy with this sexy car .

[HappyWheels]

AT all the way, especially if you are a newbie to off-roading.

Those few times that you might take it off-road, you reduce the chances of burning out your clutch by multiple factors just by this decision, as taking it off-road will be one major criteria for this purchase.

This pure blood off-roader is going to see a lot of uneducated abuse by many newbie's owners and even at the service center. Going with the AT will honestly save at least the clutch.

[shancz]

Voted for the AT and I still can't believe it.

My Gypsy memories are of 2-3 variants all with that signature engine-transmission noise and bouncing around in the front seat. I never imagined nor would I ever get an AT in that.

But the Jimny is different, I have seen a couple on the road and parked around.
I know its a thorough no nonsense off-roader but it has a sophisticated and an urban vibe to it.
Very rare vehicles can carry the fluorescent yellow/green shade and the Jimny it carries with elegance, and for that very reason its at the top of the lifestyle vehicle list for me and if it ever happens, why not go all in and get the bulletproof 4 speed Ancient Transmission I(and we) have cribbed so much about on the S-Cross.
Life has indeed come a full circle

[karanddd]

The manual without a doubt. It's an old school car with an old school charm. A manual really suits it. Especially because its engine doesn't make much power, I would love to have the ability to redline it in every gear in case I need to go fast (lol). A sluggish 4 speed AT is likely to make a slow car feel even slower.

[astrodex]

Honestly, I would have preferred a AT with more cogs, but given the options it would be the AT. Jimny is not a fast mover anyway to make much difference between the two options, and the AT will make it a little better for city drives and make life easier during offroading for everyone except the experts. Also, most of the reviews have said the manual is quite notchy compared to other Suzuki vehicles. The only time manual would make sense is if you have a lot of highway miles since it would be a bit more relaxed that AT on 100km+ speeds.

[Sherlocked]

Jimny's MT gearbox is not something what we are used to seeing in any modern petrol car these days.

Although the clutch felt light to operate, and the travel is less as well, but the gear-stick is extremely notchy especially slotting it in the first gear from neutral. It's not a a slick-shifting gearbox. The positioning also didn't feel ergonomically suited to me. The whole experience can be best termed as "old-school".

Do take a thorough test drive, and just don't go with the manual one thinking that Maruti's manual tranny are smooth as a butter. This one is not.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Sherlocked

Jimny's MT gearbox is not something what we are used to seeing in any modern petrol car these days.

Although the clutch felt light to operate, and the travel is less as well, but the gear-stick is extremely notchy especially slotting it in the first gear from neutral. It's not a a slick-shifting gearbox. The positioning also didn't feel ergonomically suited to me. The whole experience can be best termed as "old-school".

Do take a thorough test drive, and just don't go with the manual one thinking that Maruti's manual tranny are smooth as a butter. This one is not.

For everyone’s info, the Gypsy in the 1980’s was considered to be highly modern, ergonomic and comfortable and the position of the gear stick was a real pleasure, coming as we were from the world of Ambassadors and Fiats and Mahindras.

The Gypsy gear stick slots neatly into place with an inimitable rifle bolt click and the clutch is light and responsive too.

But by any stretch of the imagination, it is not as slick as new cars, whose technology has also advanced by nearly 40 years!

[NTO]

Voted for AT. Three reasons

1. The MT clutch is heavy and springy unlike any Maruti and the gear box is notchy with shifts, which again is unlike any Maruti. This would result in an unwarranted leg workout in the city.

2. Have been driving this AT in my father’s Urban Cruiser and though it sounds antiquated with just 4 speeds , it is extremely smooth in operation and the second gear mode helps with quick downshifts and overtakes. The L mode helps with climbs. You can also restrict the top gear to 3 for city driving using the OD button. The 4th gear is also pretty tall bringing in 100 kmph at a shade above 2K rpm, helping with calm highway cruising.

3. For novice off-roaders, the AT takes care of lot of things (from my experience off-roading my Thar). This would help people put their Jimmy’s to mild to serious off-roading with ease and without second guessing.

I have also given up on MTswith the current traffic conditions and all the 4 cars in my family are ATs. Could be a possible bias but AT is the way to go in the Jimny in my opinion.

[amiya.c]

Honestly, I am not able to decide. I have asked few of the owners to confirm the RPM levels at 100 km/h and 120 km/h in both these models as I wasn't able to test it in Bengaluru traffic. My inclination is towards the Automatic as MTs became obsolete in my list way back in 2015s and 2016s. But I also feel that Maruti would introduce few changes in this car next year, may be, so that it becomes more capable for highways, like the 1.0 l boosterjet and the 6 speed TC from Fronx. So I am in a dilemma here.

[cefiljoseph]

Internet has unnecessarily romanced the beauty of manual cars. To be fair, some manuals are very rewarding like the Porsche 6-speed or Porsche 7-speed but maybe only for an early morning drive in the ghats or some secured roads. In most manual cars, the manual gears have some or the other issue. From reliability to notchy/rubbery shifting, it's really hard to find a good manual than a good automatic. Any other day, a modern automatic will offer far superior driving pleasure since it allows you to focus on other aspect of driving. Just to begin with, having two hands on the wheel is many times safer than just one on the wheel. Moreover, the modern automatics transmissions are insanely quick and reliable. ZF-8 Speed and Porsche PDK are prime examples for this.

Coming to the Jimny, giving it an old-school torque converter was the right call. It is simply because Jimny is true blooded off-roader and this gearbox needs to take abuse for the years to come. I bet that this archaic 4-speed is just the right one to do this. For the same reason I would love to have a AT if I were to buy a Jimny.

[raptor_diwan]

Definitely AT, finding a reliable automatic transmission in good cars can sometimes be challenging, along with the quest for smoothness and comfort which this old 4-speed torque converter unit can give. Personally, I believe that automatic transmissions are well-suited for off-roading, as they can deliver precise power.

[R.Daroga]

Test drove the AT and it felt adequately peppy for the city. I have always preferred manual transmissions but the problem is, there is no test drive vehicle for the MT and hence it's hard for me to decide. The onroad Mumbai difference between the two transmissions is coming up to Rs. 1.40 lakhs. Have booked the MT for now. Will wait for an MT test vehicle to come around to make a final decision.

Any MT owner inputs would help.

Thanks.

[Bhodrolok]

AT, all day.

There is no way in hell I would buy a manual car in any of our larger Indian cities.

[Autonaut]

AT any day. Manual is still close because, in my opinion, it will be more enjoyable to drive off-road.