Maruti Suzuki S-Assist Name Trademarked In India: New Automatic Gearbox From The Brand?

Based on the current trend of automatic and semi-automatic transmissions, Maruti Suzuki might soon introduce another gearbox options on its model in India. The S-Assist could either be a DCT gearbox or a clutchless manual transmission from the company.

The latter is a higher possibility because of the low manufacturing costs and higher fuel efficiency as compared to the DCT. The clutchless manual transmission has recently become popular in Kia and Hyundai models in the country.

These are basically semi-automatic transmission unit where the driver is still required to manually select the gear using the gear lever. However, the operation of the clutch is done automatically without any manual operation from the driver.

The transmission will still have a clutch, however, the task of operating the clutch will be done by a (TCU) transmission control unit and a couple of sensors. As soon as the driver is about to change the gear, the sensor sends the signals to a hydraulic actuator to engage and disengage the clutch plate.

As a result, the pedal found on the extreme left of manual cars will be absent in clutchless manual transmission vehicles. The gearbox will also ensure optimal shifts using a couple of other sensors for matching the revs of the engine.

The clutchless manual transmissions return a mileage that is similar to cars with manual transmission. However, it is relatively easier with the absence of manual operations of the clutch.

Maruti Suzuki is currently offering three automatic gearbox options in the Indian market depending on the car. This includes the 5-speed AMT unit on most cars in the brand's line-up, the four-speed torque converter on high-end cars from the brand and the CVT transmission unit on the Baleno.

The S-Assist, if launched as a clutchless manual transmission, could be first launched in popular vehicles from the brand. This includes the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Baleno, WagonR, Vitara Brezza and the Ciaz; among others.

Thoughts About The Maruti Suzuki S-Assist Name Trademarked In India

We are speculating the S-Assist to be a form of automatic transmission because of the name. However, no other details have been revealed by the company at the moment. The introduction of the S-Assist as a clutchless manual transmission could attract more sales and become an additional transmission option for Maruti Suzuki buyers in the Indian market.