This was an eventuality that had to happen. With Tata Motors offering their version of the automated manual transmission (AMT) system in their diesel compact sedan the Zest and Mahindra offering a similar system on the TUV300, it was only a matter of time before MSIL jumped on the bandwagon and introduced the Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technology on their bestselling diesel compact sedan, namely, the DZire.
Till date, Maruti Suzuki has stuck to offering the AGS technology only on their petrol engine products. With mounting pressure from the competition and judging by the demand that there is for the AGS technology in an affordable diesel product, it only made sense to offer it on the DZire. After all, the DZire is India’s bestselling sedan and with this technology on offer, it only enhances its desirability.
The Auto Gear Shift offers the convenience of an automatic, without compromising on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. The DZire AGS is expected to return an efficiency of 26.59 kilometres to the litre according to ARAI tests.
The AGS technology will only be available on the VDi variant for now, however we expect Maruti to introduce it on the lower spec diesel variants as well in the future. Incidentally, the DZire is the fourth model in MSIL’s portfolio to benefit from this technology. The other products to get this tech include the Alto K10, Wagon R and Celerio. In fact, Maruti Suzuki was the first company to introduce the automated manual transmission system in the country and other manufacturers have followed suit.
The Maruti Suzuki DZire AGS ZDi is priced at Rs 8.39 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). It is costs roughly Rs 50,000 more than its manual transmission sibling.