The Hyundai Venue iMT is the first car of its kind in India because it allows the driver to use a conventional manual transmission without the need of a clutch pedal.
The Hyundai Venue iMT’s outstanding feature is the Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT). This piece of tech allows one to drive the car like a conventional manual gearbox-equipped model minus a clutch pedal; foot levers will be limited to just the brake and the accelerator. The componentry behind the iMT include a Transmission Gear Shift (TGS) lever with intention sensor, hydraulic actuator and Transmission Control Unit (TCU). This system uses pre-programmed logic to automate the use of the clutch according to the driver’s inputs.
The TCU receives a signal from the intention sensor when the driver tries to select a gear which it processes and relays to the hydraulic actuator. The pressure formed by the actuator is used by a Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC) to control the clutch and pressure plate; thus, engaging or disengaging the clutch. In the real world, Hyundai claim that while the driver selects a gear, the clutch would have disengaged and re-engaged electro-mechanically within a fraction of a second, rewarding him with a smooth and seamless driving experience.
This feature is a first in the industry and will debut with the BS6 Kappa 1.0-litre T-GDi petrol engine. The Hyundai Venue iMT will be launched later this month.
Story: Joshua Varghese
