The first made in Pakistan 660cc compact hatchback, Suzuki Alto has been launched and one of its three variants VXL comes with an AGS transmission.
Pak Suzuki had initially introduced Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technology in the VXL model of Cultus. For the Pakistani market, AGS technology is new; therefore, people are not entirely familiar with it. Moreover, people are also confused at the way the AGS technology shifts gears. There seems to be a considerable lag between the shifts when the driver is pressing the accelerator pedal.
To understand the peculiar aspects of this transmission, we need to dig deeper and get acquainted with its components.
How to Drive an AGS Car
The AGS transmission is essentially a manual transmission. This manual transmission has an electric motor that does the job of a clutch when the transmission shifts between gears.
The right way to operate this transmission is to lift your foot off the accelerator pedal between gear changes. This will quickly change the gear and you will not experience a lag between shifts. The logic behind this is that when you are driving a manual car, you lift your foot off the accelerator when changing the gear. This holds true here as well because this is a slightly modified manual transmission.
Why AGS
One of the reasons AGS has been introduced in Cultus and Alto is to increase their fuel mileage. This is because the AGS technology consumes less fuel compared to a traditional or conventional automatic transmission. The standard automatic transmission has a torque converter that wastes energy in between gear shifts. However, in AGS technology, there is an actuator motor that helps in shifting gears.
The AGS technology is made for economical cars meant to be driven in the urban areas. This is because it is easy to drive compared to a manual transmission and has a low fuel consumption. The AGS transmission does not have a parking gear and the driver needs to ensure that the parking brake is applied on inclined surfaces. The AGS can also be used to shift gears manually and efficiently as compared to a manual transmission.
Share your thoughts on the AGS technology in the comments section below and stay tuned for more informative posts like this one.
We all know Pak Suzuki doesn’t really care whether AGS gives better fuel economy or not. They just introduced it in 660cc alto as it would save them money as they can use the same gearbox that is present in cultus in this “new” alto.
I always jam the transmission to P before removing the key from ignition switch in A/T and leave it in 1st or Reverse gear in case of an M/T. What’d I do with AGS transmission? I suppose that D would be fine because if the parking brake fails and it’s in N position, the parked car will start rolling and may cause a serious accident.
It’s a cheap alternative of Proven CVT technology. It’s beneficial for company to provide a little motor behind manual gear mechanism and make consumers fool and make more money for label of auto transmission.