The Savvy AMT – Car for the Savvy Driver
Ever since the launch of the Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) version of the Proton Savvy, I have been getting mixed reactions from people I know about the car, and after more than a thousand kilometres of testing, it is my conclusion that one would have a love-hate relationship with this car; i.e. you will either love it or hate it, depending on your personality.
If you had purchased it with the expectation that it should perform like any other car with an automatic transmission, then you might not like the way the Savvy AMT behaves. However, if you are a savvy kind of driver, i.e., one who appreciates the finer points of an automobile, and are a motoring enthusiast, you will most likely like it.
The AMT, as the name suggests, is really a clutchless manual transmission with a mechanism that allows it to function somewhat like an auto, but with slight differences in behaviour.
When driven in ‘auto’ mode, a transmission control unit (TCU) senses the engine speed and throttle pressure, and selects the appropriate gear to engage, shifting up or down on demand or as a response to your foot on the accelerator pedal. The difference is, anytime there is a gearshift to be done, mechanical servos are actuated to depress the clutch, and change gears up or down. Due to the fact that there isn’t a torque converter, the TCU also retards the engine speed momentarily so that the gears can mesh smoothly. An unpleasant consequence of this is that it gives the driver the feeling that the car is bogging down while his or her foot is on the gas pedal. And this becomes the main grouse of many a driver of the Savvy AMT.
For the enthusiast, the AMT has several important advantages that endear the car to him or her. Being a manual transmission, there is no torque converter slip, and therefore, little or no loss of horsepower. This also means potential fuel savings, which, over the useful lifetime of s car, can add up to quite a substantial sum of money.
For the savvy driver, lifting off on the throttle just before a gearshift makes the gear changing a lot smoother and with a little practice, it is possible to get it to change gears seamlessly. If you are one who enjoys driving, but are forced to opt for an auto (for reasons such as a wife, daughter, or girlfriend who can only drive an auto), then the AMT is something you might want to look at. In addition to the auto mode, there is a manual shift option that allows you to do clutchless gear changes. Personally, I derived the most fun out of the AMT by using the manual mode on the highways and trunk roads, and shifting to auto mode when traveling slowly in the city.
The AMT features a 5-speed gearbox, which means that it is possible to have gear ratios that are closer, and the benefit is less ‘lag’ between gears and better acceleration. In layman terms, it means a more efficient car. In terms of value for money, try to name another car in this price range that has a 5-speed gearbox.
In our tests, we managed 370 kilometres from a full tank of fuel before the refuel light came on. It took 27 litres to get back to full tank, which works out to be 11.82 sen a kilometre. And this is driving at high speeds of between 140 km/hr to 170 km/hr on the highway. Driven sedately at regulation speeds, you can expect at least another 10 percent to 15 percent savings.
The Savvy AMT is a fun car for the one who likes to drive, and appreciates a good car. It is nippy, and highly maneuverable, being small and very sure-footed. Even my lady co-tester commented on how well it could stick onto the tarmac, both in the dry, and also during a heavy downpour on the way back from Tangkak. On trunk roads, the AMT feels so secure that you will find yourself passing others because you are able to take corners faster than most other cars.
At speeds up to 155 km/hr, the AMT feels very ‘planted’, although it does get a little nervous in crosswinds at speeds in excess of that. Top speed is around 170 km/hr, and we managed to get the needle to lick 180 on a long downhill straight. Around bends, the Savvy handles very well, and if you bother to peep under the car, you will find Macpherson struts and a stabilizer bar at the front, and a beam suspension very similar to that of the Citroen ZX at the rear.
A little bit of dirt road driving also helped to convince the two of us that this is indeed a great car. Interestingly, there are no creaks and rattles in our test car, which incidentally has clocked more than 9000 kilometres.
The valiant 1.2 litre Renault engine isn’t the most powerful engine in the world, and the Savvy is not the fastest car on the road, but the way it is put together makes it a great car, for its size and engine capacity. It certainly outperforms the 1200 Datsun (another great and fun car to own) I had many umpteen years ago, testimony to the vast technological advances that have come about since then.
Priced at RM47+K, the Savvy AMT is a good package; after considering the pros and cons, I am of the opinion that the plusses outweigh the minuses. I like it!
