Mahindra left everyone surprised with the variety of innovative cars it unveiled at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo. Among these was the automatic version of the Quanto which has been recently spotted on test. According to the report, Mahindra plans to roll out this new model by the end of this financial year.
At the time of its unveiling earlier during the year, the vehicle was officially named the Quanto AutoShift. Featuring a new five-speed automated manual gearbox developed in conjunction with UK-based Ricardo, the upcoming vehicle promises to offer the convenience of an automatic gearbox, without the complexities of one.
The Quanto AMT will continue to be powered by the same 3-cylinder, 1.5-litre diesel engine currently found in the rest of the MUV’s range. The engine produces 100bhp of power and 240Nm of torque. Power will be sent to the rear wheels through the five-speed AutoShift unit. The system is controlled by an advanced ECU and hydraulic actuation system which senses the necessary gear changes by operating on shift map and has tuned it to provide higher fuel efficiency. The Quanto AMT shown at the Auto Expo also featured regenerative braking, further assisting fuel efficiency. The latter could be carried over to the production-spec model.
Despite its fuel efficient nature and spacious interior, the Quanto hasn’t been very successful in the Indian market. By introducing AMT technology, Mahindra will be looking to enhance the MUV’s appeal among a wider buyer range. We expect the AMT gearbox to be offered on the lower three variants, the C2, C4 and C6, with prices ranging between Rs 6.5 lakh and Rs 8 lakh.
