Past imperfect, present sense? India didn?t really have a market for automatic transmission-equipped cars in the past. And it wasn?t for lack of trying. Maruti introduced auto gearboxes way back in 1996 but they never really took off. The reasons are obvious. Firstly, the cost difference between an automatic and its manual equivalent was considerable.

In the case of the Maruti Zen, in 1997, the difference in cost between a manual and automatic transmission Zen was a whopping Rs 85,000. Come 2010, the difference between the A-star automatic and manual variant stands reduced to Rs 50,000.

Not only were auto transmissions more expensive than their manual variants, but they didn?t prove as fuel efficient too. This double whammy meant the automatics never really caught up with the price-sensitive Indian market. With just three or four gears on offer, automatics were gas guzzlers which significantly fell short on the performance front as well. But now, with much improved technology and a higher number of automatic gears, these cars deliver much-improved fuel efficiency and are also much nicer to drive.

While price and efficiency are major factors, there are cultural issues as well. In America, historically automatics far outsold their manual counterparts. In contrast, India has no such history. The Premier Padmini and the Hindustan Ambassador, which ruled the market for decades, came only with manual transmission options and changing from second to third in these cars was an art in itself. And having never driven an automatic before, driving a car with no clutch created a fear of learning to drive one. This is another reason why automatics never caught the fancy of the Indians.

High-end cars like Mercedes, BMWs and Audis are mostly sold with automatic transmissions only. But the middle class car buyer, who buys Marutis, Hyundais, and Tatas, has resolutely stayed away from automatics. However, things are changing now. The past decade has seen the Indian automotive market mature remarkably and we now see a lot more cars with automatic transmissions.

We bring you a comparison of automatic cars priced below Rs 12 lakh, which are affordable and include low running costs. All these cars have simple gearboxes that are easy to maintain as well. Yes, there is drop in fuel efficiency and they are more expensive than their manual variants, but they come with the freedom of relaxed driving which outweighs their drawbacks. And this is a criterion which, if you happen to be one of the scores of commuters stuck in typical Indian urban traffic conditions and shifting manual gears a zillion times, you will thank yourself for choosing. Time to change gear then…

HATCHBACKS

In the hatchback segment, Hyundai and Maruti are the only two manufacturers to offer automatic transmissions in their cars. There are three hatches available with automatic transmissions?the Maruti A-star, Hyundai i10 and Hyundai i20. All three cars are powered by petrol engines and equipped with four-speed transmissions and are targeted at those who mostly use their cars in the city where ease of driving is top priority.

City Driving

The cute little A-star feels the best in town, showing a lot of enthusiasm off the blocks. There is no lag from the automatic four-speed gearbox and the car moves forth smartly. However, once it is past the initial tug of power, power delivery is flat and you have to be patient for the car to gain momentum. Nevertheless, for city use, it feels adequate and the A-star is at its best in stop-start traffic. Its compact dimensions and light steering make the A-star the easiest to drive in the city.

The i10?s four-speed gearbox, in comparison, is not that responsive. The torque converter takes its own sweet time to spool up power and the acceleration off the line feels pretty laid back. But the potent 80bhp Kappa2 engine works well to hide this minute shortcoming. Once on the move, there is loads of power on tap and the i10 moves ahead smartly. The light kerb weight also helps here and the car feels quite peppy to drive. Though the shifts are slow and the gear ratios quite tall, it never feels short on power and is more than adequate for city driving.

The i20, on the other hand, with a 1.4-litre engine is the most powerful of the three. But this doesn?t mean it is the most effortless to drive. The four-speed automatic box feels ridiculously slow to respond and the lack of low-end torque from the engine accentuates this further. You have to flex your right foot to extract decent performance from the 100bhp motor. In stop-start traffic too it feels lethargic and the performance at best is just about adequate.

Highway Driving

While the A-star shines in the city, it disappoints on the highway. The small 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine is the least powerful of the three cars here and out on the highway this deficit shows through. Throttle responses are very blunt and the A-star takes time to gain momentum once on an open road. Though the gearbox is pretty good at downshifts, the lack of sufficient torque and tall gear ratios hamper the small Maruti?s progress on the roads beyond city limits. Also, overtaking on single-lane highways needs to be planned well in advance.

The i10, on the other hand, feels much peppier at higher speeds. Its relative lack of weight and good power from the tech-laden Kappa2 motor works wonders here. The midrange is strong and the i10 never feels short on power. The four-speed auto gearbox though is slow to shift, compared to that of the Maruti, and could do with quicker shifts. But overall the i10 does a commendable job out on the highway. The i20 feels lethargic to drive, compared to the i10. Yes, it has much more power but the 1.4-litre engine develops most of it towards the top of the powerband. And you have to rev the bolts off the engine to extract respectable performance. The gearbox is very slow to downshift too, which doesn?t help while overtaking on two-lane roads. The i20 feels the best while cruising on a multi-lane highway.

MIDSIZE SALOONS

The demands of prospective automatic car buyers differ a lot when you move from small to premium cars. This lot of cars must feel at home on city roads and out on the highway as well. In this segment, we have compared the Honda City, Volkswagen Vento, Maruti SX4 and the Hyundai Verna. While the first three cars are powered by petrol motors, the Hyundai is a diesel at heart.

City Driving

The Maruti SX4 uses a similar automatic box as the A-star. The Suzuki?s four-speed auto ?box is a decent one, which is well matched to the engine?s characteristics. It is reasonably responsive for everyday city driving and seems to find the right gear quickly to deliver a smooth and seamless drive. Throttle responses are sharp and the SX4 requires little effort to get going. On part-throttle, the SX4 feels effortless and it moves forward with lot of gusto. But once past half-throttle, the accelerator feels wooden and it doesn?t feel as responsive. The engine responses are a bit too sharp and the torque converter spools the power a bit too quickly, resulting in jerky power delivery.

If linear power delivery is what you are looking for, then the Volkswagen Vento delivers it in spades. The Vento has a smooth power delivery and the six-speed auto ?box shifts seamlessly. What it lacks though is the willingness of the Honda City or the SX4?s gearbox. It?s fine in urban traffic, which calls for the employment of first or second gear. But as speed increases, the Vento?s ?box feels a tad too relaxed and not as effortless as the other two petrols.

Comparatively, the Honda City?s five-speed auto feels much more rounded. It has a good mix of willingness and smoothness. Though a bit jerky at times, the ?box adapts well to your throttle inputs and it quickens when the need arises and smoothens out when you want to drive leisurely. This makes driving the City in town a breezy affair and the light and accurate steering sweetens the drive further. The Hyundai Verna CRDi is quick, but what?s missing is the fiery acceleration that you get with the five-speed manual transmission. The auto has only four ratios to play with and the tall gears can’t extract the maximum power from the engine. The slow-to-respond auto ?box doesn’t help its cause either. However, the plus side is that the Verna auto accelerates in an extremely relaxed and linear manner and the auto ?box eliminates some of the turbo lag, which is prominent in the manual version. As a result, the car is easier and smoother to drive in the city.

Highway driving

The SX4?s gearbox isn?t great when you want to drive it enthusiastically. There is a bit of lag before the ?box kicks down, which is typical of most automatics. It is nowhere close to the Honda as far as responsiveness is concerned. With only four ratios to work with, the SX4 doesn?t cruise seamlessly on the highway. It doesn?t come with Tiptronic or paddle shifts that can control the gears manually. Instead, you can slide the SX4?s brushed-metal gear lever through an old-fashioned gate to select the lower gears. In this mode, it won?t upshift by itself, allowing you to extend the engine to its redline.

The Honda City shines on the highway too. It cruises well on four-lane roads and the refined 1.5-litre engine is quiet and relaxed. Overtaking on two-lane roads too just needs a tap on the right pedal and the gearbox shifts rapidly to put you back in the powerband. It also comes equipped with F1-style paddle shifts which work really well and lend the City a sporty feel. Overall, it feels the best on the highway.

On a four-lane highway, the Vento cruises really well. With six ratios on offer, the engine is always kept at a relaxed speed. But it?s on two-lane roads that the drawbacks surface. The auto ?box takes time to downshift, and when you need to accelerate quickly while overtaking, it can sometimes let you down. The problem here is that Volkswagen has tuned the gearbox with fuel efficiency in mind. As soon as you ease off the throttle, the box upshifts rapidly to save fuel and struggles to downshift when you need it to. There is an S mode for added responsiveness, but even this mode feels like the D mode on the Honda City. The Vento comes with an option of manually controlling its gears and it works pretty well, allowing you to hold on to gears for longer.

On the highway, the Verna cruises nicely and doesn?t feel taxed even at max speed. There?s adequate power for overtaking but the slow-witted gearbox with its lethargic kickdown calls for some planning when passing fast-moving traffic, an effort which tells on the Verna?s flat-out performance.

SPORTS UTILITY VEHICLES

The Scorpio is the only car in its segment to come with an automatic transmission. This gives it huge advantage as the buyer doesn?t have any other choice. But that doesn?t mean Mahindra is complacent. The company has given the Scorpio a high-tech six-speed automatic transmission, which promises not much of a compromise on performance and efficiency compared to the manual.

The Scorpio?s ?box has two modes?the regular ?D? and a manual-like ?M.? Slot the lever in ?D,? press the throttle, and that instant clutch take-off of the manual Scorpio is missing. The SUV moves off the line smoothly and the gearbox is programmed to upshift as soon as possible. On a light throttle, the upshifts happen at around the 2500rpm mark. This means that in traffic, the quick upshifts make for good fuel efficiency and lower noise levels in the cabin as the engine is quite relaxed. Since it runs in a higher gear most of the time, it must downshift every time you demand acceleration. And thankfully, this isn?t a problem for the ?box. Downshifts are quick, and it sometimes jumps down two gears, depending on how much you depress the accelerator. But, at certain city speeds?between 30 and 40kph?the ?box is constantly hunting between gears, which isn?t appealing. It won?t hold onto a gear through a corner which can unsettle the Scorpio mid-way through. We feel that this occurrence boils down to the gearbox software which could do with some tweaking.

The early upshifts are fine when you are in no hurry to get to your destination, but not so good when are driving in a jiffy. The ?M? mode is better when you are in a hurry. There is no Tiptronic function, but the ‘box does a pretty good job of imitating one. It holds gears till the redline, automatically downshifting even on a trailing throttle, to keep you in the right gear and ready for action. It?s a nice feature and works well especially when you drive hard.

The good thing about this auto is that it doesn?t seem to sap too much power from the engine. There’s always performance on tap and in the dash to 100kph, the auto is barely a half-second behind the manual. Impressive considering that there?s a 70kg increase in weight. In-gear times are better?the kickdown function of the auto makes it feel a lot quicker in start-stop driving conditions.

Even out on the highway, overtaking is easy work because of the engine?s good power characteristics and the gearbox that responds to the need for downshifts quickly. Only sometimes, when cruising at triple-digit speeds, the ?box is reluctant to shift up into sixth. So you have to force it into upshifting by lifting off the throttle and wait till you sense the gear change.