Suzuki gearbox labelled a ‘breakthrough’
The gearbox was described as a breakthrough in the driveability and user-friendliness of the technology.
SUZUKI has received the Japan Society for the Promotion of the Machine Industry’s Chairman’s Award for its automated manual transmission.
The gearbox was described as a breakthrough in the driveability and user-friendliness of the technology.
Suzuki’s take on AMT technology is called Auto Gear Shift, and it uses a proprietary electro-hydraulic actuator to automatically operate the mechanical clutch and allow the automated up-and-down shifting of the five-speed gearbox.
The driver can choose a fully automatic mode or a sequential self-shifting option, which will keep the selected gear and only downshift automatically if the AGS sensors detect too little power in the chosen gear.
As part of its redesign, Suzuki also included ‘creep’ and ‘parking’ algorithms into the actuator control unit.
With this programming, the AGS gearbox will detect bumper-to-bumper traffic or ultra-slow parking manoeuvres and adjust engine speed and power delivery accordingly.
In doing so, the Japanese automaker says the gearbox avoids the ‘shuddering shifts’ previously associated with automated manual transmissions.
Suzuki’s Auto Gear Shift system includes a downshift sensor on the accelerator pedal to detect driver intent and allow for fast shifting.
The system is also more attuned to throttle modulation to again sense driver intention and shift to a higher gear at the most appropriate driving moment.
In contrast to a fully automatic gearbox, the AGS system uses the same basic components as a manual gearbox, but without a driver-operated clutch.
By sharing components, Suzuki keeps the cost of this auto-shifting option low.
In SA, buyers can experience the gearbox in the Celerio 1.0 GL AMT.
‘Receiving the JSPMI Chairman’s Award is a welcome recognition of our hard work in bringing automatic gearboxes within reach of our entry-level customers,’ said André Venter, Divisional Manager for sales and marketing at Suzuki Auto SA.
‘Apart from the obvious price and maintenance benefit, the Suzuki Auto Gear Shift is also the most fuel efficient gearbox in our Celerio range (returning a claimed 4.6-litres per 100km), which supports our drive for affordable motoring’, Venter said.
