Hyundai Venue Gets Clutchless Manual Transmission, To Be Shared with Kia Sonet

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), the country's second-largest carmaker, has introduced IMT-equipped variants of the Venue. Prices of the Hyundai Venue iMT start at Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India) for the SX variant with the 1.0-litre T-GDI turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine. Moreover, the sub-compact SUV, which rivals the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, has also got a new Sport model that will be available with 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre U2 CRDi turbo-diesel engine options.

It’s also worth a mention here that the upcoming Kia Sonet, which goes on sale on August 7, will share the new transmission with the smallest SUV in the South Korean carmaker giant’s lineup. Prices of the Hyundai Venue iMT start at Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India) for the SX variant with the 1.0-litre T-GDI turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine. Moreover, the sub-compact SUV, which rivals the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, has also got a new Sport model that will be available with 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre U2 CRDi turbo-diesel engine options. It’s also worth a mention here that the upcoming Kia Sonet, which goes on sale on August 7, will share the new transmission with the smallest SUV in the South Korean carmaker giant’s lineup.

The iMT system comprises a transmission gear shift (TGS) lever with intention sensor, hydraulic actuator and transmission control unit (TCU). Various components of the system work together to offer a smooth, jerk-free driving experience while mitigating the need of manual operation of the clutch. Basically, the intention sensor placed in the gear shift lever sends a signal to TCU as soon as the driver initiates a shift action. The TCU then prompts the hydraulic actuator to form hydraulic pressure and channel it to the concentric slave cylinder (CSC) via the clutch tube. Next, the concentric slave cylinder then uses this pressure to engage and disengage the clutch. All of this happens within a second and enables the driver to manually shift gears without needing to operate a clutch lever.

As stated earlier, the newly launched Hyundai Venue Sport variant will be sold in two engine variants- 1.0-litre T-GDi petrol and 1.5-litre U2 CRDi diesel. It must be noted here that the transmission options for the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine now include the iMT and the 7-speed DCT unit that has been available all along. Meanwhile, the diesel engine is available only with the six-speed manual gearbox. Also, compared to the manual SX trim of the 1.0-litre T-GDi variant, the iMT model costs just Rs 22,000 more.