India’s vehicular population is continuously growing, and as a direct result, contributing to the growing traffic snarls in cities all over India. While manual cars are still a preference for a majority of drivers, the allure of stress-free driving offered by automatic transmissions has seduced many to make the switch. With automatic cars also becoming more affordable, it’s becoming easier to consider an automatic over a manual car. The question then becomes which is the best automatic car in India? Rather than answer this with a definite car, we’ll highlight the best ones to consider from popular car brands in India.
Also Read – Best Cars Under 20 Lakh
Maruti Suzuki Automatic Cars
Maruti Suzuki is well known and respected for their reliable and affordable cars. This reputation also extends to their automatic cars as well, which have contributed considerably to popularise automatic transmissions in mass-market cars. A majority of Maruti’s automatic cars feature Automated Manual Transmissions (AMT), an affordable and reliable automatic transmission system that gets the job done.
Maruti Suzuki Celerio AMT
Maruti offers automatic transmissions on all their mass-market models. The reason the Maruti Celerio stands out from the likes of the Alto, Wagon R, and S-Presso is the exceptionally high fuel efficiency the automatic variant is capable of achieving. The Maruti Celerio AMT has a ARAI-claimed mileage of 26.68 kmpl, a figure that is only bested by the strong hybrid Grand Vitara. With more space than an Alto and similar equipment as the Wagon R, the Celerio AMT is the perfect affordable city car.
Hyundai Automatic Cars
While Maruti focuses on offering an affordable choice, Hyundai aims to offer more options to choose from. Most Hyundai models feature at least two types of automatic transmissions, with some models even featuring three automatic transmission types. The diversity in choice ensures you choose the transmission that suits your needs rather than adapting to the specification of the car.
Hyundai i20 N-Line DCT
Fast turbocharged petrol engine and a slick, quick-shifting dual clutch automatic transmission (DCT). This is a match made in heaven and the Hyundai i20 N-Line is the most affordable car from the Korean manufacturer to feature this combination. Being the sporty variant of the i20, the i20 N-Line offers a more engaging driving experience with stiffer suspension and sharper steering to complement the powertrain. If you’re looking for an exciting automatic car on a budget, you don’t have to look further than the i20 N-Line DCT.
Tata Automatic Cars
Tata’s automatic cars are characterised for being the safest automatic cars in their segment. Unlike the range of variants available for each model, Tata keeps things simple for all but one of their automatic cars by offering one automatic transmission type for each model, depending on the price segment they occupy.
Tata Nexon DCT
The only Tata car that offers more than one automatic transmission type to choose from is the Tata Nexon. Both the petrol and diesel variants of the Nexon come equipped with a 6-speed AMT automatic, which does its job well but isn’t particularly known for being smooth. For a smoother driving experience, the 7-speed DCT automatic on the higher variants of the Nexon petrol is what you should consider. Paired with the Nexon’s well-respected road handling characteristics, the Nexon DCT is a very comfortable automatic car to drive.
Mahindra Automatic Cars
If Tata is known for its safety, Mahindra can lay claim to featuring the most rugged automatic cars in their portfolio. Mahindra’s portfolio of SUVs are expected to handle off-road situations without breaking a sweat. Add in a reliable automatic transmission and Mahindra’s automatic cars become the most easy to drive off-road vehicles in their segment.
Mahindra Thar AT
While the likes of the Scorpio N and XUV700 have pushed the Mahindra brand to a wider audience, it is the Thar that is the true flagship of the Indian brand. While the first generation Thar only came with a manual transmission, the second generation Thar added the option of a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. This instantly made the 4×4 Thar appealing to a much broader audience, who could now own a Thar as their only car thanks to the added convenience.
Toyota Automatic Cars
Toyota has built a reputation for being engineered for reliability. While you won’t find exciting automatic transmission options on a Toyota car, you can rest assured that the Toyota automatic car you decide to buy will have bullet-proof reliability. This applies for every Toyota car on sale today, so your final choice will come down to what you can afford and your own personal preferences.
Toyota Innova Hycross e-CVT
The Toyota Innova Hycross is the modern update to the popular Innova MUV, that adopts Toyota’s latest strong hybrid tech to deliver the same comfort and efficiency as the innova Crysta. The e-CVT automatic transmission is the same as the one used on the Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder. What is impressive about this system is how effortless it makes driving the large Innova Hycross, especially in the city. Add in the impressive fuel efficiency of 23.24 kmpl, and the Innova Hycross e-CVT becomes an easy car to recommend.
Kia Automatic Cars
As the sister brand to Hyundai, Kia follows the same philosophy of offering choice when it comes to their automatic cars. Kia’s sportier designs are the key attraction on their cars while the automatic transmission adds a layer of comfort and convenience to the driving experience.
Kia Sonet AT
The Kia Sonet compact SUV comes equipped with three types of automatic transmissions. The one to take note of is the 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission paired with the 1.5-litre diesel engine. This powertrain lets you experience the impressively smooth power delivery, all the while being responsive when you need a little extra performance.
Honda Automatic Cars
When Honda and automatic transmission are mentioned together, the only thing that comes to mind is the i-VTEC engine and CVT automatic pairing. This is the combination that was popularised by Honda and has been praised through the years for being reliable and smooth.
Honda City CVT
With six generations and millions of cars sold in India, the Honda City has become an icon. It’s no surprise that the two things that are the hallmarks of Honda, made their debut on the City. The Honda CVT automatic transmission has been hailed as an exceptionally smooth and reliable transmission that enhances the characteristics of the i-VTEC engine it is paired with. While excitement is not a particular highlight of the Honda CVT, it’s smoothness makes the Honda City CVT exceptionally comfortable automatic car for the city.
