Maruti Suzuki is working on Alto 800 AMT

Last week we revealed that Hyundai is working on an AMT for its i10 and this should be the next launch for the Korean automaker after the i20 Active. In this process, we have also learnt that even Maruti Suzuki is working on Alto 800 AMT. This will mean that even the smallest car from Maruti Suzuki will possess an option of clutch-free driving.

On talking to a few Maruti Suzuki dealerships, we did understand that an AMT buyer is willing to wait for a longer duration than to swap for a manual transmission. At the moment, Maruti Suzuki's AMT monthly production is 4,000 units a month in total, for the Celerio and the Alto K10. The company is looking at ramping its AMT numbers further as Magneti Mirelli is increasing its current production in India.

The Italian brand at the moment supplies AMT (automated manual transmissions) to Maruti Suzuki and Tata. Soon, it will also commence supplying to Hyundai as well, as the Korean car manufacturer will be launching the i10 AMT. Hyundai is working towards having another AMT for the Eon as well. This AMT will be offered on the Eon 800cc and the 1.0-litre.

Tata Motors is also gearing up to add AMT to the Nano, as it had showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo. Now, owning a clutch-free car will be a great option for entry-level car buyers. This segment has seen a slow down but the mid-size and premium hatchbacks sales numbers have grown in the last six months. The AMT seems to be a strategy to pull back a lot of buyers to the entry-level hatchback segment to make their driving hassle-free.