Upcoming cars in 2016: Top 5 cars to be launched with AMT in India; from Renault Kwid to Maruti Dzire

Auto world is evolving by the day and one of the latest trends that have gripped the Indian automobile market is the Automated Manual Transmission technology (AMT). We already have a handful of cars in the domestic market that come equipped with AMT boxes and needless to say, they are giving their makers a good number in terms of sales.

As the trend in the industry is changing, more and more car makers are getting ready to offer their valuable customers what they want. Here we present a list of the cars that are expected to be offered with AMT in India in the coming year 2016. Take a look!

Renault Kwid AMT

The French automaker Renault's new small hatch has been a phenomenal success in the sub-continent market with over 75,000 bookings since its entry into the market in September 2015. The car with SUV-like stance at present rivals Maruti Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon in India and what we hear is that the maker of Kwid is gearing up to launch AMT model of the same in early 2016.That is not all, the Kwid is also going to hit the market with more powerful 1.0-litre mill under the hood. Renault Kwid AMT and Kwid 1.0-litre is expected to join the company's arena at the Auto Expo 2016, scheduled to take place in February.

Tata Zica AMT

Rumours doing the rounds on the web indicate that the AMT avatar of Tata Zica will be showcased at the Auto Expo 2016. It is not clear which of the Zica models (petrol or diesel) will get the AMT boxes, but rumours are rife that the company could equip both petrol and diesel Zica with AMT boxes to stay ahead of the competition in the market.

Poised to face off with Maruti Celerio, Hyundai i10 and Chevrolet Beat in India, under the hood, Tata Zica gets 1.2-litre three-cylinder DOHC aluminium motor and a 1.0-litre three-cylinder diesel engine. While the petrol engine is tuned to dish out 83.8bhp of power at 6000 rpm and 114Nm of torque at 3500 rpm, the diesel mill is capable of putting out 69bhp of power 4000 rpm and 140Nm of torque between 1800-3000 rpm. In both variants of Tata Zica, the transmission will be taken care of by a five speed manual gearbox.

Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire AMT /Swift

Maruti Suzuki is the first car maker in India to bring AMT in its model. After the successful launch of Celerio AMT, Maruti expanded its AMT portfolio with Alto K10 AMT and now next in the line is its popular sedan Swift Dzire and Swift hatchback.

Maruti Swift Dzire AMT could make its market entry as early as in January. Maruti Dzire top-of-the-line diesel (ZDi) is expected to come with AMT box. Under the hood, Dzire AMT is likely to get the same tried-and-tested 1,248cc DDiS diesel engine, which generates 75ps of power @4,000rpm and 190Nm @2,000rpm peak torque. In terms of style and design, the new Swift Dzire AMT will remain the same as the current model, except for the rear AGS badging.

As or pricing , from what we know, the Swift Dzire AMT is likely to get a price tag that is Rs 35,000- Rs 40,000 more than the current model.

Datsun redi Go

Nissan's low cost brand Datsun is also believed to working on an AMT model for the Indian market. The company's redi Go small car, which rides on the CMF-A (Common Modular Family) platform -- the same platform of Renault's latest offering Kwid is expected to be offered with AMT box in the domestic market when launched in India next year.

Likely to be priced under Rs 3 lakh in the country, Redi Go -- which will take on the likes of Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon -- is speculated to get a three-cylinder petrol engine with five-speed manual transmission.

Mahindra Quanto (Canto) facelift

The Quanto facelift, supposedly called Canto, was recently spotted AMT gearbox, consolidating the previous rumours that the models will be offered with AMT variant in the new avatar. The Quanto facelift is expected to be launched in India in early 216 and is likely to get a newly styled front fascia of the model with front grille and bumper. The new avatar of the Quanto facelift is also expected to get new alloys.

Under the hood, the new Quanto facelift is expected to be the same 1.5-litre three-cylinder diesel engine, which can pump in 100bhp at 3,750rpm and 240Nm of torque between 1,600-2,800rpm and is likely to get improved suspension and driving dynamics. As for the interiors, the facelifted Quanto is likely to be the same as the current model, but with additional features like multi-function steering wheel.