Kia was already bringing the iMT (clutch-less manual) gearbox with the Sonet but now Hyundai has announced that they will debut this gearbox first on the Venue. And its launching this month itself.
Last week, we reported to you that the Kia Sonet will come a clutch-less manual transmission and now, Hyundai has also announced that they will introduce the same transmission on the Venue sub-compact SUV as well. Hyundai calls it the intelligent manual transmission (iMT) and it will debut on the Venue as soon as this month itself. IT will solely come on the 120hp 1.0L turbo-petrol motor of the Hyundai Venue and its a ‘first-in-industry’ gearbox technology that will combine the best of both manual and automatic transmissions.
So what is this iMT essentially? Well, you can think of it as a hybrid between a manual and automatic gearbox. The clutch pedal is completely gone but the task of shifting the gear still remains with the driver, like with a conventional gearbox. The iMT essentially automates the functionality of the clutch pedal, thus eliminating the physical need of a clutch pedal. Hyundai says that this system uses an ‘intention sensor’ with the gear lever that informs the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) when the driver intends to change gears. The TCU then signals a hydraulic actuator to engage and disengage the clutch plate while the driver shifts gears.
So with this new iMT gearbox, you get the traditional benefits of not having to operate a clutch pedal and you only left with a two-pedal system. That’s really a boon in stop-start traffic situations within the city. However, as the driver is still empowered with the task of changing the gears, you do not lose out on the joy of driving and driver engagement. Hyundai also states that iMT will enhance convenience “without compromising on fuel efficiency and performance” like a torque-converter automatic transmission.
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Currently, Hyundai offers the 1.0L turbo-petrol engine on the Venue with a 6-speed manual gearbox or the 7-speed DCT gearbox. The new iMT gearbox is not replacing any of the existing gearboxes but will be offered as an additional choice. The manual transmission with the 1.0L turbo petrol engine is offered on the S, SX and SX(O) trims, with its price ranging between Rs 8.46-10.95 lakh. Meanwhile the DCT gearbox is offered on the S and SX+ trims, its price ranging between Rs 9.60-11.51 lakh.
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While we are not sure which are the trims Hyundai will offer the new iMT gearbox on, it will slot in between the manual and DCT automatic gearboxes in terms of price. It was previously expected that it would be the Kia Sonet that would be debuting the iMT gearbox in India. However, with Hyundai’s announcement of launching this gearbox on the Venue this month itself, they could very well take the market with a storm. We, for one, are very excited to test how this system really works out in the real world.
