Hyundai Venue SUV to get iMT clutchless manual gearbox with 1.0-litre turbo
Hyundai Motor India will launch a new semi-automatic gearbox option for the Hyundai Venue SUV this month. This will be the Hyundai Motor Group's intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT) Technology and will be available with the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine option.
The iMT is different from the AMT gearboxes already offered by numerous manufacturers in India. An iMT does away with the clutch like in an AMT, but the driver still needs to manually change gears. The idea is to provide both, the engagement of a manual and the convenience of an automatic.
Hyundai's iMT is also a hydraulically operated system like an AMT. There are three main units to this system, a transmission gear shift (TGS) lever with an intention sensor in the lever, a hydraulic actuator and a transmission control unit (TCU). When you decide to change gears, the TCU is notified of this by the intention sensor on the TGS. The TCU then uses the hydraulic actuator to create pressure. This pressure is used to control the clutch and pressure plate via the concentric slave cylinder, allowing the clutch to be engaged and disengaged without manual operation.
The Hyundai Venue Turbo is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol motor that makes 120PS and 172Nm. The iMT will be the third gearbox option for this version of the Venue. A six-speed manual and a seven-speed DCT is already on offer. Prices for the Venue Turbo start from Rs 6.7 lakh, ex-showroom Mumbai.
Kia's version of the Venue, the upcoming Sonet, will also get the iMT gearbox option.