Types of Automatic Cars- For most drivers around the world, automatic cars have become the prime option and Indians have entered the bandwagon, too. Convenience, clutch-free shifting, and ease of driving have led individuals to prefer automatic vehicles over manual ones.

The automatic gearbox began as simple mechanisms of gear change that gave comparatively lower fuel economy than the manuals of the past. In modern vehicles, advancement in automotive technology and electronics has led to more powerful and accurate automatic gearboxes.

Some Types Of Automatic Cars

There are four types of automatic cars available mentioned below- 

1-Automated Manual Transmission 

Also known as semi-automatic gear transmission, on Indian roads, AMT cars are the most common types of  automatic car. Apart from being low-cost, AMT cars are a simple upgrade with a few design tweaks to your manual gear cars. For buyers who want to combine high fuel efficiency with low maintenance costs, this automatic model of car is perfect.

The AMT gearbox can be used in petrol, diesel, CNG, and LPG cars, and is widely available in both entry-level and mid-level vehicles, including, to name a few, the Maruti Swift, Alto, Brezza, Renault Duster, and the Tata Nexon.

2- Continuous Variable Transmission 

CVT vehicles should be your preference if you are looking for an automatic car with a quieter transmission. Many automatic scooters (Activa, Dio) in India also use CVT. CVT vehicles do not have any gears or clutches mechanically, so they are ideally fit for users looking for a smoother drive on their automatic vehicles. The most famous cars in India, such as the Maruti Baleno, Honda Jazz, Honda City, and Nissan Micra, are available with CVT.

3- Dual Clutch Transmission 

The dual-clutch transmission is often referred to as the direct shift gearbox (or DSG), which is easily one of the advanced automated car technologies on the market today. DCT mainly uses a twin-clutch mechanism responsible for smooth changes of the gear.

Automatic cars use either dry clutches (for DCT) or wet clutches, depending on engine torque (for DSG). DCT provides the fastest and most accurate gear shifts among the latest generation of vehicles and is very reliable and effective.

Among its main drawbacks, DCT vehicles offer lower than manual fuel economy. Some of the vehicles with this gearbox configuration come with paddle shifters, making it even easier to drive. This technology can be found in many famous cars, including the Hyundai Venue, the Kia Seltos, the Volkswagen Polo, and the Ford Figo.

4- Torque Converters 

The Torque Converter technology is probably the invention that pioneered the advent of automatic cars, so seeing such automatic cars on Indian roads is very popular. The best aspect of the torque converters is the nearly quiet and “niggle-free” gearbox.

If you are looking for an automatic vehicle with a smooth gear shift for extended use, you can opt for DCT vehicles, but you have to put up with its low fuel efficiency. Thanks to the early advent, torque converters, like the Mahindra XUV, Tata Hexa, VW Polo, Skoda Rapid, and Hyundai Verna, are available in several car models.

4- Intelligent Manual Transmission 

The IMT provides a full clutch-free manual transmission without a clutch pedal, among the latest developments in automatic cars. Automatic sensors and actuators are used by IMT to detect a gear shift and to automatically engage the clutch. For users looking for the full comfort of an automatic vehicle, IMT is perfect.

In short, if you dislike stepping on the clutch pedal many times in traffic or have the habit of driving on the clutch pedal with your foot resting, but still love driving with the H-pattern gear shifter, the IMT is certainly the way to go! IMT is only available in Hyundai & Kia cars as of now, with the only cars with this gearbox configuration being the Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue.

Also, read| How Does an Automatic Car work?

Continuous Variable Transmission Vs Dual Clutch Transmission

Transmissions are often called gearboxes because, when distributing power, they include a number of gears that the mechanism “shifts” between. Manual transmission allows the driver to choose when to shift between gears, while a machine uses an automatic transmission to shift on its own when applicable. 

To engage the required gear, a transmission relies on a clutch. Most transmissions have only one clutch attached to the gearbox, but two of them have a dual-clutch transmission (also called a twin clutch). 

Twin-clutch modules use two input shafts instead of one input shaft: one controls odd-numbered gears and one even-numbered control. Since the next gear is already engaged and waiting before changing, this results in faster, smoother transitions between gears than a manual or normal automatic (like an AMT or torque converter). Pulleys instead of gears are actually used with the continuous variable transmission, forgetting the pre-established drawbacks of fixed gear ratios to fluidly change power distribution at ever-sliding speeds.

As it does not delay or jerk when moving gears, a continuously variable transmission performs more reliably and faster, but provides slower acceleration and is safer in low-speed environments. In metro and suburban areas, this makes it safer for stop-and-go traffic. When you attempt to accelerate rapidly, CVTs appear to slow.

For performance vehicles that accelerate rapidly and move at high speeds, the smooth power redirection of a DCT makes it an excellent choice. However, stop-and-go traffic is not well-suited, as regular acceleration and deceleration clash with its anticipatory nature of planning for whatever gear it assumes will participate next (in fact, this is one of the ways you can damage your DCT).

What Is An Automatic Transmission?

As the name suggests, an automatic transmission is a fully automated gearbox that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from manually shifting gears. Three main components are used in an automatic gearbox: fluid/hydraulic coupling, planetary train gears, and hydraulic controls.

A liquid/water-driven coupling capacity is very like what a grasp does in a manual gearbox, which switches gear by locking and opening an arrangement of planetary pinion wheels. Force Converter is a generally known pressure-driven coupling or liquid coupling utilized in number vehicles with ground-breaking motors. 

The second significant piece of a programmed gearbox is Planetary Gears Train, a framework that gives the different stuff proportions, adjusting the speed of revolution of the yield shaft contingent upon which planetary pinion wheels are bolted. The third significant part utilized in a programmed gearbox is water-powered control which acts very like a liquid coupling however it is ordinarily a stuff siphon mounted between the force converter and the planetary gearset and controls different grips and groups altering the speed of the yield contingent upon the vehicle’s running condition.

Conclusion

Automatic cars have taken over as a superb decision for most drivers around the planet. Comfort, bother-free moving, and openness have transcended the utilization of customary three-pedal shifters. While programmed transmissions began as straightforward stuff changing systems that were known for not exactly heavenly mileage, long periods of advancement have launched the programmed as the transmission of decision for execution and effectiveness.