Honda Jazz will have an automatic version in the coming days

Automatic transmission cars are doing brisk business, thanks to the growing number of customers especially the women who have developed a penchant for such cars. Such variants enhances the comfort to drive such cars and has led many such models getting launched in the past one and a half years like Hyundai’s i20 and Verna, GM’s Captiva (AT version), Honda City, Mitsubishi Outlander, Mahindra Scorpio etc.

Unlike before, carmakers are offering new-age five to six speed automatic transmission systems which are offering better fuel-efficiency along with improved pick up and performance. Furthermore a number of AT version have recently hit the Indian roads like Ford Endeavour (which only had the manual one) and Toyota is also considering its feasibility for its recently-launched Fortuner.

Buoyed by the overwhelming success of its superhatch  Jazz Honda Siel is also keen to roll out its AT variant, without putting any timeframe. Masahiro Takedagawa, MD & CEO, HSCI told reporters recently, “Our automatic transmission variants of the existing models are delivering good volumes and we would like to extend the same our newly-launched Jazz model.”

Commenting on the new trend, another top honcho of Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) told the media recently that that the company sells the automatic transmission variants for most of its models like Civic, Accord, City, CRV. He added that buyers, especially from the female fraternity are inclined towards high-end features and automatic transmission is one of them. Earlier the previous generation City was doing 5 per cent for automatic transmission (AT) but now nearly 14 per cent of the City’s sales come from it. Also, 51 per cent of the Accords sold in the country today are AT variants.

According to Anindya Banerjee, senior creative director, Publicis Communications (India) Limited, “Drivers, today, are looking more and more towards a comfortable drive. The ‘stop-go-stop’ nature of traffic in cities like Mumbai, Delhi Bangalore and Calcutta has forced car buyers to look at auto transmissions. And hence don’t mind paying a bit extra, especially when it is spread over EMIs. The loss of mileage is negligible considering the fact that you anyway don’t get a good mileage in city driving.”
Source:[wheelsunplugged.com]