India's leading car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki has recently trademarked the name 'S-Assist' in our country. While Maruti hasn't shared any information regarding this nomenclature, it is likely to be used for the brand's upcoming clutchless manual transmission. As of now, Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia are offering clutchless manual transmission options with their select models in India, which they have named iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission).
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For those who aren't aware, the iMT is a clutch-by-wire system that eliminates the need for a clutch pedal. It relies on electronic sensors, hydraulic actuators & a transmission control unit that detects the moment of manual gearbox lever and actuate the clutch plate to shift cogs. It provides added convenience over the traditional manual gearbox without taking away the fun of manual shifting. Also, it is more cost-efficient than AMT and regular automatic units.
Talking about the current line-up of the Maruti Suzuki cars, they come equipped with a manual transmission along with either an AMT or a torque converter automatic. It would be interesting to see if Maruti offers a clutchless manual gearbox in their line-up.
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In the other news, Maruti Suzuki is gearing up to launch the second-generation Celerio hatchback, and it is expected to arrive near the festive season. Considering the fact that current-gen Celerio was the first car in India to offer an AMT (automated manual transmission), we suspect it's next-gen model could debut the clutchless manual transmission for the Indo-Japanese brand. However, this is just our guess, and Maruti hasn't made any such announcement yet. But what we can say with certainty is that the upgraded Celerio will undergo significant design and feature changes. It will be based on the Heartect platform and could be longer than the ongoing model. Also, it is expected to borrow its powertrain from the current generation Maruti WagonR hatchback.
