What Car? Q&A - Semi-auto and auto: what are they?

Q: What is the difference between Vauxhall's Easytronic gearbox and a normal automatic gearbox?
Billy Kidd

Vauxhall's Easytronic system is semi-automatic system, and is designed to offer the best of both manual and automatic gearshifts.

There's no clutch pedal, so in manual mode the clutch is operated automatically, while the driver operates the gearstick to change gear. In automatic mode, the car takes care of the gearchange as well.

If you're undecided, we'd recommend you test-drive both types of gearbox to get a feel for which might suit you best.