Hyderabad: The world is witnessing a transformation, from manual to automatic, in every realm of life. So is the automobile industry. The number of people who choose automatic transmission cars in car manufacturing is observing a significant surge. However, many reports suggest that car buyers in India are still more likely to go for manual gearboxes.
Why Do Indians Prefer Manual Cars Over Automatic?
After the COVID-19 pandemic in India, many people have shifted to automatic manual transmission cars. Easy to drive, especially in traffic areas, these cars come with ease from frequent gear changing and clutching. Despite the good demand for automatic transmission vehicles, there still exists significant interest amongst consumers towards manual transmission cars. Let's see the possible reasons behind it:
Price Difference
Experts say that price is the main reason why most people in India prefer manual cars. Manual cars cost less compared to automatic manual transmission (AMT) cars. According to a Spinney report, the entry-level automatic manual transmission variant of a car will cost around Rs. 80,000 more. The report states that the buyer will have to pay more for the AMT variant of the car than the manual variant.
Insurance Costs
The high cost of the car due to automatic gearbox technology increases insurance costs for the buyer, making the vehicle more expensive. This difference is evident in entry-level vehicles. The result is significant acquisition costs for buyers. For this reason, many consumers seem to be interested in opting for manual variants to save money on sticker prices and insurance costs
Maintenance Costs
According to the experts, the maintenance costs are also one of the reasons why more people show more interest in manual cars. Maintenance of automatic gearbox cars is more expensive than manual gearbox vehicles. Also, automatic transmissions have a more complex structure than manual transmissions. As a result, the owner's operating costs increase. Similarly, the cost of regular oil changes in manual cars is also less as compared to AMT cars.
Reliability
The automatic gearbox is less reliable than the manual gearbox. Experts say this is another major reason why more people are buying manual cars in India. Also, the manual gearbox is technologically advanced. It has been in operation for a longer period than the AMT variant
Gear Box Problems
The gearbox system in an automatic transmission car is more complicated than the gearbox system in a manual car. Finding a technician at the current time for any gearbox issue in an AMT car is pretty difficult while finding a mechanic for the same manual gearbox is easy. Almost every mechanic has at least some knowledge about the gearbox of manual cars
Overheating, Jerky Rides
Driving the automatic gearbox in heavy traffic conditions can cause the transmission to overheat. Generally, manual gearbox systems are not affected by these issues. Many car owners also prefer cars with manual gearboxes as they give the driver more control over the driving experience of the vehicle.
