A clutchless manual gearbox in a  mass-market car is a true innovation and something that should be applauded

Almost every automotive writer and publication in India will award different types of best car awards, and I’m guilty of that as well. But a few awards look at new technologies introduced in a year or even new engines for that matter. This is because unless forced to by regulations, the pace of technological development in cars these days is fairly gradual. If you would have told me in 2000 that in 2020 not only would the world be brought to a halt by a virus but a commercially available two-litre diesel engine can produce close to 250 horsepower, I would have thought you out of your mind. Even petrol engines today are incredibly lean-burning. You can easily get small petrol hatchbacks to 14-15 kilometers a litre in urban conditions without resorting to hyper-miling.

Sometimes the change is a bit dramatic, take the advent of popular automatics in India for which Maruti should take the credit when they fitted an ‘Automated Manual Transmission’ (AMT) on the Celerio and have made AMT technology so popular that many other manufacturers including Hyundai, Nissan-Renault and Tata have followed suit. Don’t get me wrong here, while driving cars fitted with an AMT is still a lot more convenient than a car with a manual, AMT’s compared to regular automatics, cars fitted with traditional torque converters, Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) boxes or even more modern dual-clutch transmission (DCT) systems, feel horribly lazy. Yes, you learn how to get the best out of them but truth be told, AMT’s are not for enthusiastic driving. And nor, to be very honest, are the large majority of CVT systems. Many of them do not even let you hit the rev limit. Then there are DCT systems, designed for exhilaration but not exactly economical.

However, none of these are new. These are all clutchless systems that remove the need for one to operate their left foot and change the gears automatically. Some systems offer various types of manual override contraptions, from a simple up-down pusher by shifting the lever to the side or a paddle system, but they’re not manuals by any stretch. This is what makes the ‘Intelligent Manual System’ (IMT) brought to India by the Hyundai Motor Group through their Hyundai (Venue and i20) and Kia (Sonet) products fairly unique. There are a couple of things here, I describe this as a clutchless manual system because you, as the driver, are always in control of the gears. But you are not operating a clutch. I have just completed one month with my long-term Kia Sonet with an IMT system and while I will be honest and admit that I was a bit hesitant of the IMT when I drove it for the first time on a Venue, I’ve actually grown to like the system. In my first review of the IMT system, I wondered whether you can teach an old dog new tricks? Well, this old dog really likes the IMT.

I have honestly never driven anything like an IMT before, something so unique rarely comes in a ten-lakh rupee car. That said, I will be the first to admit that IMT systems are not for everyone and can be very confusing to those who drive one for the first time. But as anyone who has driven a manual in bumper-to-bumper traffic in Bengaluru, Delhi or Mumbai can attest, the constant changing of gears in such conditions is tiring and stressful even though many of those who swear by manuals will say that ‘manuals’ are the only way to drive a car properly.

Okay fine, there is a slight lag when you change. But unless you are a fearsome heel-and-toe style changer, the lag in gearshifts is nothing really to be concerned about. Yes, as the weather in Delhi gets colder I am noticing that the gears are a bit sticky upon a cold start first thing in the morning but once the car gets up to temperature there are a few problems. This is something though that I will keep an eye on over the coming months with the Sonet as the mercury continues to dip in Delhi.

But as a system, this does not feel as compromised as say an AMT does, and mated to the Group’s 120PS one-litre turbopetrol engine, you can really have some fun with the IMT as well. And given that it is a lot cheaper than the Dual-Clutch Transmission available on the same models, it is a great combination of performance, convenience and price. I do not know if other manufacturers have access to this technology or if they will bring cars equipped with an IMT into India even if they do, but in opinion, the IMT is the automotive technology of the year.