Tata Kite
Tata logo in Kite hatchbackScreenshot

As the demand for Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) models increases, Tata Motors, which currently has two AMT models in India is planning to assemble AMT kits in India.

Tata Motors Senior Vice-President, Programme Planning and Project Management, Girish Wagh told Deccan Herald the company was planning for local assembly of AMT kits in the country to reduce the waiting period of its models like GenX Nano AMT. Currently, Tata Motors imports AMT kits from Magneti Marelli. Tata's GenX Nano and Tata Zest diesel variant are offered with AMT boxes, and the upcoming Zica hatchback is said to be the next model to get it.

"We keep looking at products that have good traction. The company has made a strategic portfolio plan for the next five years. We have seen Manza and Vista do not have a play in our strategy. Also, the new products should not be lost in a clutter," the daily quoted Wagh as saying.

Tata Zica is expected to make its market entry in the third week of January. The company had confirmed that there would be AMT on offer for Zica, bit not at the time of launch. Poised to face off with Maruti Celerio, Hyundai i10 and Chevrolet Beat in India, Tata Zica gets a 1.2-litre three-cylinder DOHC aluminium motor and a 1.0-litre three-cylinder diesel engine.

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While the petrol engine is tuned to dish out 83.8bhp of power at 6,000 rpm and 114Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm, the diesel mill is capable of putting out 69bhp of power 4,000 rpm and 140Nm of torque between 1,800 and 3,000 rpm. In both variants of Tata Zica, the transmission will be taken care of by a five-speed manual gearbox.