Under what circumstances is the L gear of the Sylphy used?
3 Answers
The L gear of the Sylphy is used when the vehicle speed is less than 20 km/h, the engine speed is below 3500 rpm, for starting on slopes, descending slopes in low gear, or for anti-skid purposes on snowy roads. The L gear is a low forward gear, and when descending long steep slopes or mountain roads, shifting to this gear can limit the vehicle's gear range. Taking the Sylphy 2021 Classic 1.6XE Manual Comfort Edition as an example: its dimensions are 4631mm in length, 1760mm in width, and 1503mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2700mm. It has a top speed of 188 km/h and is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission.
I love using the L gear when driving my Sylphy on mountain roads. For example, on continuous uphill sections, shifting to L gear maintains low gear and high RPM, providing strong climbing power without the frequent gear shifts in D gear that make the car jerk. It's even more indispensable on steep descents! Last winter when returning from the ski resort, I switched to L gear to use engine braking, and the brake pads hardly smoked. It's also practical in traffic—on stop-and-go sections, using L1 gear prevents the car from constantly shifting between 1st and 2nd gears. Just remember not to exceed 60 km/h or rev into the red zone, as this gear is designed for low-speed conditions.
I remember once helping a friend move furniture, and his Sylphy was noticeably struggling after being packed with boxes. I directly shifted to L mode, and the engine speed stabilized around 3000 rpm, climbing the underground garage slope without any slippage. Actually, L mode is manually limiting the gear upper limit, equivalent to turning the automatic transmission into semi-automatic. Don't use it randomly on normal flat roads, otherwise, fuel consumption will skyrocket. The new Sylphys now have an 'L' marked on the gear shift, while the older models have 'Low Gear' written on the gear panel. The manual recommends not using L mode above 30 km/h, but in emergencies, like descending a slope, it can temporarily take over even at higher speeds, which is much better than brake failure.
