The ACPCS installed on Mahindra XUV700 manual converted automatic, stands for Automatic Clutch Pedal Control System
Do you have a manual gearbox equipped car to enjoy the blissful and scintillating driving pleasure and feel lethargic driving it in chalk-a-block city traffic? Do you wish that you had bought an automatic gearbox instead? An XUV700 owner, Arvind Ramjiyani, has converted his top-spec AX7L MT variant into an automatic system. Wanna know how? Read on.
Mahindra XUV700 Manual Converted To Automatic
Koenigsegg introduced something called Engage Shift System based on the company’s Light Speed Transmission with CC850. This gearbox can seamlessly act as both manual and automatic transmission at driver’s will. This is a 9-speed gearbox with 6 gears in manual drive with an extremely complicated gear-selecting protocol based on driving mode selected.
But what does that have to do with the Mahindra XUV700 in question? Well, we can see the same basic concept with this manual XUV700 ported to an automatic shifting system. Except, in a significantly primitive approach when compared to multi million dollar Koenigsegg CC850. One can say that it is a jugaad, too.
Mr Ramjiyani has gone with something called City Clutch which is a trademarked product from Powerlink Automation, based out of Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The company claims that City Clutch is an ARAI certified product. Powerlink Automation primarily seems to provide custom automation services to handicapped drivers to make driving easier.
Arvind Ramjiyani has installed it on their Mahindra XUV700 AX7L, which is a relatively new vehicle that is still under OEM warranty (or was under warranty). This City Clutch system is retrofitted to any manual transmission car to convert it into a semi-automatic vehicle. Think Hyundai and Kia’s iMT transmission, but you can choose to get the clutch pedal back at your discretion.
How does it work?
The concept behind City Clutch is simple. It aims to provide drivers with ease of clutchless driving in the city and at driver’s will can switch back to fully interrupted manual driving when needed. There is an electronic switch provided with City Clutch kit that is connected to a controller. This controller commands an electric motor that engages the clutch with a shaft.
There are many distributors of City Clutch across India and they have installed it on vehicles ranging from small Maruti cars to big and heavy-duty SUVs like Toyota Fortuner and Tata Xenon. When turned on, the City Clutch system engages the car’s clutch pedal as soon as the ignition is turned on. There is a proximity sensor installed on the gear lever.
Based on proximity to the gear lever, the system engages the clutch and allows it to change gears. City Clutch connects to the car’s OBD and knows if the brake or accelerator is engaged. When braking, City Clutch engages the clutch completely and releases it completely when accelerating. The company even claims that this system is adaptive and learns drivers’ habits and adapts to their unique driving style.
There is a significant learning curve to get used to City Clutch’s behaviour. If you are used to granular clutch modulations to regulate power, this system is a major hindrance when turned on. Engine braking gets iffy too, considering City Clutch engages the car’s clutch close to halfway when lifting the leg off accelerator. The main question mark, however, is dependability and reliability.
