Small Automatics - Why Not?

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Fri 9 Apr 2004 18:23
Small Automatics - Why Not? - Cardew
I was interested to read HJ's comment on the Toyota Soluna:-

"So, a great little car. Certainly the best small automatic I have ever driven. But sadly a car we are unlikely to see in the UK. Small four door autos just don't sell big-time in the UK,"

My wife, daughter and daughter-in-law all drive small automatics(Yaris, Polo & Civic) even though they have full licences. They are not motoring enthusiasts and the appeal to them is simply the ease of driving. They are usually driven in 'shopping trolley mode' so the slight penalty in performance & economy is not a problem.

I suspect there would be a much greater demand for small automatics if manufacturers didn't artificially inflate the price of an automatic gearbox in the UK and often make it only an option on the higher spec models in the range.

On the Soluna in Thailand an automatic is a £500 option on all models. In UK it is often in excess of £1,000 on small cars.
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