Manual or Automatic: Which Transmission Drives Used Cars In Hyderabad?

Manual transmission has been around for ages and consequently dominated both the new and used car market in India. That said, the demand for automatic cars is rising in India, accounting for 14.7% of used cars sales in 2024. 

Interestingly, Telangana is a key used car market in India. Most of it centres around the state capital, Hyderabad. The metro is ranked the fourth most traffic congested city in India, a reason that majorly influences its new and used car buying decisions. Other factors considered are fuel preferences, transmission preferences and bodystyle preferences. 

Manual and automatic transmissions are a major consideration while buying a used car in Hyderabad. Here, we are going to talk about transmission trends in Hyderabad and how it is influenced by the region. 

Used Car Transmission Trends in Hyderabad: Manual Maintains Control

Referring to data from CARS24 Gears of Growth report and CARS24 sales data, we have a comprehensive overview of transmission trends in Hyderabad. Here’s what we found out:

Key Takeaways From The Data

• Like other cities, manual cars enjoy a monopoly in Hyderabad’s used car market. 
• Drivers prefer manual cars for their low initial investment, low maintenance costs and low running costs. 
• Despite this dominance, automatic cars also have a substantial presence in Hyderabad as well. 
• Buyers prefer automatics as they are more convenient to drive on Hyderabad’s traffic infested roads. 
• Automatic used car buyers prefer Automated Manual Transmissions (AMT) as they are cheaper to buy, run and maintain. 

Fuel Types and Transmission Types: The Correlation

Automatic and manual transmissions are widely available across petrol and diesel cars. Also there is no exclusivity when it comes to fuels and transmissions. You can have a petrol car with manual and automatic gearboxes and the same applies to diesel engines as well. 

CNG cars are an exception to the norm because manufacturers primarily offer them only with manual gearboxes. However a few carmakers are offering CNG cars with automatic gearboxes. That said, we can hardly find any used CNG automatic cars to consider here. 

Petrol:

Petrol-powered used manual cars form a majority of Hyderabad’s second hand car market. However, petrol automatic cars are slowly gaining popularity. The bad traffic conditions in Hyderabad is one of the primary reasons for this growing trend. 

Diesel: 

Compared to petrol, manual transmissions have a higher monopoly when it comes to second hand cars in Hyderabad. Unlike petrol, the demand for diesel automatic cars is stagnant.  

Body Types and Transmission Types: The Correlation

Hyderabad has a traffic problem, further compounded by narrow roads, especially in its Old City area. This attribute makes hatchbacks the most popular body type in the Metro city. The number of used sedans and SUVs in the city is closely matched.  

Hatchbacks: 

A primary reason for buying hatchbacks is the low buying and running costs. This is why a majority of used hatchback buyers in Hyderabad prefer manual transmissions. Also, the number of new manual hatchbacks sold is higher than the number of new automatic hatchbacks. This has a ripple effect on the sales of used hatchbacks in Hyderabad. 

Sedans:

Compared to hatchbacks, automatic sedans in Hyderabad have a higher demand. That said, manual sedans remain the most popular owing to their lower purchase price, better fuel efficiency and easy availability . 

SUVs:

Compared to other body types, used SUVs in Hyderabad have a higher ratio of automatic cars. Also, while manual transmission equipped SUVs dominate the used SUV segment in Hyderabad, automatic SUVs are gaining a foothold. 

Reasons Behind Used Manual Transmission Vehicles Being More Popular in Hyderabad?

Second hand manual cars are more popular in Hyderabad for a number of reasons. Here are some of the important ones: 

• Consumers buy manual cars for their low initial buying price and low maintenance costs. 
• Manual cars are comparatively more reliable than automatic cars and have a lower probability of breaking down. 
• In most cases, manual cars offer better fuel efficiency than a comparable automatic car. 
• Owing to the above points, manual cars offer a slower rate of depreciation and have a good resale value as well. 
• Manual cars have more versatile fuel options, like petrol, diesel and CNG.

Should You Buy an Automatic Car in Hyderabad?

The chief benefit of an automatic transmission equipped car is its ease of driving especially in slow traffic situations. Automatic cars do not have clutch pedals, so there is no clutch modulation needed to prevent the car from stalling. This trait also makes an automatic car more comfortable to drive in a traffic infested city like Hyderabad. 

In terms of disadvantages, automatic cars are more expensive to buy and maintain. Automatic cars also consume more fuel than manuals. Some AMTs now offer fuel efficiency comparable to manual cars, though manuals still hold a slight edge overall.  If you spend most of your time driving in the city, an automatic car is a viable option. 

Most Popular Used Cars in Hyderabad, Transmission Wise:

While Hyderabad has a high number of used manual cars, the metro city also has a steady demand for used automatic cars. The demand for second hand SUVs is rising as well. The Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is the best selling manual transmission equipped used car in Hyderabad. The Honda City is the most popular used automatic car in the city. 

Manual Cars:

Given Hyderabad’s heavy traffic and narrow lanes, used car buyers in the city prefer hatchbacks. The top five best-selling manual cars, all of which are hatchbacks, are evidence of this. The Maruti Suzuki Wagon R tops this list. Also, four of the five cars here are exclusively petrol powered, showing buyers affinity for manual petrol vehicles. 

Automatic Cars:

Unlike other cities, used automatic cars in Hyderabad are preferred for their practicality, with three of the five best selling used automatics being entry level and sub compact hatchbacks. Also, used automatic car buyers in the city do not mind shelling out an extra premium, as evidenced by the Honda City which tops this list and the Volkswagen Vento which

comes in a distinct third place.

While the top manual cars list in Hyderabad features the usual suspects, the top automatic cars list for the city is quite interesting. Besides major brands like Maruti Suzuki, Honda and Hyundai, the list has manufacturers like Volkswagen and Renault showing the evolved mindset of Hyderabad’s automatic car buyers. 

Conclusion:

The used car transmission trends in Hyderabad show no real surprises and manuals lead the charge. The sale of automatic cars is stagnant except in the case of used automatic SUVs which are seeing significant growth. Also in the case of used automatics, buyers are comfortable going beyond mainstream brands and opt for automatic cars from Volkswagen and Renault.

Manuals are practical for fundamental reasons like low buying costs, low running and maintenance costs, better overall reliability and better fuel efficiency. These traits make manuals the de facto choice for both new and used car buyers. While automatics are gaining popularity, they won’t be replacing manual cars anytime soon.