Mahindra Marazzo to Hyundai Santro: 6 affordable AMT-equipped cars coming soon to India

India’s move towards automatic transmission cars has been a steady one. However, over the past few years, this switch towards automation has been aided and abetted by worsening traffic conditions and the availability of more affordable automated manual transmission (AMT) gearboxes. In this article, we take a look at upcoming AMT-equipped cars that are set to launch soon in India.

Hyundai Santro

South Korean carmaker Hyundai will revive the iconic Santro name with an all-new car that will be launched in India in October. The new Santro will resurrect Hyundai’s iconic tall boy hatchback. The new Santro will be powered by a new 1.1-litre four-cylinder engine that will be paired to an AMT gearbox. The Hyundai Santro will be the first-ever car from Hyundai India to be equipped with an AMT gearbox.

Mahindra KUV100 Diesel AMT

When Mahindra launched the facelifted KUV100 NXT in October last year, the carmaker announced that it was working on an AMT version of its micro SUV. Mahindra is now in the process of updating the KUVV100 to meet upcoming safety regulation and reports suggest that the new KUV100 will get an AMT gearbox along with diesel variants of the micro SUV when it arrives next year. The petrol will continue to remain paired with a manual gearbox.

Mahindra Marazzo

Mahindra launched the all-new Marrazzo in India last month. Mahindra has confirmed that the large 7-8 seater MPV get an AMT gearbox in the future. the new gearbox option should be available in 2020 when it gets updated to meet new safety and emission norms. The new AMT gearbox will be paired with the emissions updated engine as well, when it arrives in 2020.

Mahindra S201

The Mahindra S201 is the carmaker’s sub4-metre version of the Ssangyong Tivoli. The new S201 will compete with the Hyundai Creta and is expected to feature an AMT gearbox that will be paired with the Marazzo’s 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine. The S201’s launch is scheduled for early 2019.

Hyundai QXi

The QXi is Hyundai’s codename for its Maruti Brezza rival that will be based on the Carlino concept seen at Auto Expo 2016. The all-new QXi SUV from Hyundai is expected to be launched in India in 2019 and it will be the second car in Hyundai’s Indian innings to be offered with an AMT gearbox after the new Santro. The new engine is expected to be paired with a new 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine along with Hyundai’s familiar 1.4-litre diesel.

New Maruti WagonR

The new-generation Maruti WagonR is set to make its debut in early 2019 in India. Like the current car, the new WagonR will continue to be offered with Maruti’s 1.0-litre K Series engines. While the new WagonR will be offered with a 5-speed manual as standard, an AMT version will also be given as an option to customers. The new-gen Maruti WagonR AMT will arrive early next year to compete with the all-new Hyundai Santro.