An AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) is a regular manual gearbox fitted with electro-hydraulic actuators that operate the clutch and shift gears for you. There is no clutch pedal, so an AMT drives like an automatic, but the hardware underneath is a manual — which makes it the cheapest automatic option sold in India.
How it works
An AMT keeps the manual gearbox and clutch of the base car and adds a hydraulic or electric actuator kit controlled by a computer. The computer decides when to shift based on speed and throttle input, then disengages the clutch, moves the gear, and re-engages — exactly what a driver's left hand and foot would do, just automated.
Because it reuses proven manual parts, an AMT is cheap to build, cheap to repair, and returns fuel economy nearly identical to the manual version. The trade-off is shift quality: there is a noticeable pause — the "head-nod" — between gears, especially under hard acceleration.
Why it matters when buying
AMT typically costs ₹50,000–70,000 over the equivalent manual variant, roughly half the premium of a CVT or DCT. If your driving is mostly city traffic and budget matters more than refinement, an AMT is the most sensible automatic. If smoothness is a priority, test-drive a CVT back-to-back before deciding — the difference is immediately obvious.
AMT cars in India
Maruti Suzuki badges its AMT as AGS (Auto Gear Shift) on the Alto K10, S-Presso, WagonR, Celerio, Swift and Dzire. Tata offers AMT on the Tiago, Tigor and Punch, Renault on the Kwid and Kiger, and Hyundai's Smart Auto AMT features on the Grand i10 Nios, Aura and Exter. See our full AMT vs CVT vs DCT comparison for which suits you.