RELATED ARTICLES |
So what are the innovations that have hit the car industry.
Till recently, a car was a car. Something which you took to go to office or elsewhere. A functional four wheeler for moving from point A to point B. Now it has become a personal statement which you would like to be in and flaunt. Newer models and latest technologies have made that possible.
Look at the changes that have come about in cars in the last few years: Anti-locking brakes, power steering, keyless entry, xenon lights, adaptive lighting, climate control, DVD, TV, three-point safety belt, anti-heat glass, heated seats, power seats, rain an light sensors, dynamic suspension, power train, microcontrollers, cruise control, nitrogen gas tyres, GPS maps, stolen vehicle tracking, rear vision, proximity warning, alternate fuels, parking assitance and a wide variety of entertainment products.
Of course, many of the products are only available in high-end cars, but as costs of equipment fall, these migrate to the mid and lower sections. Keyless entry, ABS, DVD and GPS can all be added to any car as they become affordable.
At the same time, car makers are pulling out all stops to offer more fuel efficiency, comfort and hi-tech. The intelligent gas injection engine concept — a technology which Maruti Suzuki India may use in future in its dual-fuel engine models will run on compressed natural gas and petrol, an adaptation of the fuel-efficient K-series engine that is presently used in its A-Star, Ritz and Estilo. India’s largest carmaker has also unveiled gadgets that could help in surfing the internet, watch your favorite movies on LED screens at the rear seats and also play games on the X-Box. These were on display at the auto show in Delhi. “The add-ons we have shown are only for the concepts. When we go in for production, more focus will be on the design,” said I V Rao, managing executive officer for engineering at Maruti.
Maruti has also unveiled its multi-purpose vehicle rIII for family driving built by its engineers. “It was left to the designer’s imagination as to what they wants to install in a concept vehicle,” Rao said. It will be a “sporty, dynamic and compact” vehicle combining comfort and efficiency. The vehicle will have multi-level touch display for each passenger allowing higher customisation of information, entertainment and vehicle set-up programmes for personal comfort.
It will have pillar-less coach doors with the second row seat sliding automatically when the rear doors open, allowing easy entry and exit. The head rest spine accommodates a personal entertainment display screen, not unlike in modern aircraft.
The focus of car makers is progressively shifting to electric and hybrid vehicles, which are expected to rule the roads in the future. Most of these concepts though are in the small car variety. Hyundai electric version of the i10 aims to be a zero emission car with ability to run 160 km on a single charge with a lithium-ion polymer battery. It can notch up a top speed of 130 kmph. The recharging from a home outlet of would take about five hours.
“We hope that the heightened interest in electric vehicles will present us with a huge opportunity to bring in the technology to the Indian market in the near future,” said director, marketing and sales at Hyundai Motor Arvind Saxena.
The e-Spark is GM India's move into the battery-powered vehicles claiming to be the first four-door electric car in India after Reva. Developed in collaboration with Reva Electric Car firm, the vehicle will have automatic transmission coupled with an intelligent driver display system that will provide all signals on the dashboard.
“GM’s ability to develop platforms and Reva’s capability in developing electric drive-trains and control systems will result in the consumer having a wider choice of Electric Vehicles,” says president and MD of GM India Karl Slym. He said h hoped that the central and state governments would extend support to develop the necessary infrastructure for electric vehicle charging.
The deputy chairman and chief technology officer of Reva Chetan Maini, it had found a partner in GM India who shares the company’s “passion to reduce carbon emissions.” The plans are ambitious. “We aim to make India a global hub for the development and manufacture of electric vehicles and related technologies,” he said.
Even Maruti is developing its own electric vehicle. “As we go forward, R&D capability will be a critical part of our strategy as we are presenting our engineers’ work on hybrid and electric vehicle technologies,” said managing director of Maruti Suzuki India Shinzo Nakanishi. He said the company will also introduce the latest CNG clean fuel technology in India.
Perhaps many would like to emulate the best known model in hybrid cars which uses electric and petrol engines alternately, the Toyota’s Prius. The car was showcased at the auto show in Delhi and boasts of a 1.8 litre petrol engine in conjunction with an electric drive. The price, though, at above Rs 26 lakh may be a bit daunting for some, though it has picked up decent numbers. “Prius has received encouraging response in world markets since its launch with cumulative sales of about 1.5 million units,” said deputy managing director, marketing at Toyota Kirloskar Motor Sandeep Singh. The Prius will be imported from Japan as completely built-up unit and the company aims to sell about 200 units this year.
Then there is CR-Z from Honda which has a 1.5-litre engine coupled to an electric motor. It is expected to go on sale from February in Japan. “The CR-Z concept is the world's first hybrid equipped with a six-speed manual transmission,” said executive president of Honda Koichi Kondo.
As the car companies get into the fast lanes on technology, the future holds vast promises. Computers in vehicles would be taking many of the decisions, like they are doing in the fly-by-wire aircraft. Car owers can look forward to cheaper fuel cells, affordable hybrids, all-round electronically controlled airbags, night vision, accident warning and evasion, passive driving, in-vehicle network control and automatised parking. The highways of the future will control speed density with help of satellites. Already experimental tracks are testing out the technologies. But for that to happen in India would perhaps take a couple decades. First the normal roads would have to be stepped up to global standards. But the fun in driving is being in control. Indian car owners can expect to do that for a long time to come.
Post new comment