Bose Suspension System – Superior Innovation

The Bose has come up with a solution for the long prevailing problems of the suspension system. The suspension system of the car has never had in it’s the correct blend of passenger comfort and vehicle control, but Bose suspension system . The disturbances on the road such as potholes or bumps will not be affected if the car is having good suspension system and by good control it means that the body of the car is not pitching or rolling often and contact between the road and the tyre of the car is balanced. But in most of the cars if it has great passenger comfort, then it will not have good vehicle control and vice versa.

The key disciplines which the Bose suspension wanted important development was on linear electromagnetic motors, control algorithms, power amplifiers, and computation.

The Bose suspension system was made up of a linear electromagnetic motor and power amplifier at each wheel, and a set of control algorithms.

For an easy two-point mounting, a linear electric motor is arranged at each wheel of a Bose operational vehicle. Also a power amplifier is fitted to dole out electrical power to the motor in reaction to signals from the control algorithms.

In the Bose linear electromagnetic motors, a modified MacPherson strut type layout is used.

New SUV from Premier

Premier Automobiles Limited will be launching a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). Premier Auto is returning to the Indian automobile sector after nine long years. And the company is planning to make its comeback huge.

This compact SUV will mark the entry of Zotye Auto, a Chinese four-wheeler company, into the Indian automobile industry. And this is the first time that a Chinese automobile maker tying up with an Indian car manufacturer. Zotye will collaborate with Premier in the project.

Zotye Auto will provide vehicle kits to Premier that will be assembled at Premier’s Pune facility. Completely knocked down (CKD) kits from China will be imported to India by Zotye, for which it will be paid by Premier. And a diesel powerplant for the vehicle will be provided by Premier.

The SUV will be powered by a four-cylinder, 1.5Ldiesel engine that has a 5-speed manual gearbox. And the SUV will have rear-wheel drive.

Rio or Terra is the name options for this mini SUV. The base variant of the mini-SUV will be priced at Rs 5 lakh and the top-end variant is likely to be priced at around Rs 7 lakh.

The Future of Mahindra-Renault Joint Venture

It appears Renault’s joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra is going through hard times. The companies have now decided to sit down and decide what their future plans are. It seems the companies are now trying to find a solution for a problem that has been haunting them for long.

The companies have not yet come to a final decision. The most important problem that persists is the unsuccessful sales of Logan. Logan is the only car that has been launched of the joint venture between the two companies.

Let us hope that Renault will not take a decision that is not favourable for the company. At this phase when the Indian car market is in a growing stage Renault will continue its tenure in the country. And it is also expected that the company might come up with new launch plans.

Renault holds a 49 per cent stake and Mahindra & Mahindra 51 per cent. Anyways, in a few days time we will come to know the future plans of the companies.

Toyota unveils ‘green’ sports car

Green seems to be the mantra of all the car makers these days. Making its way through the green world now is Toyota, the Numero Uno car maker of the world.

Toyota unveiled a new lightweight, sporty concept car named FT-86 inspired by an iconic coupe from the 1980s. Toyota claims that this car is its vision for the future Trabant e-car.

The rear-wheel drive FT-86, with a low centre of gravity and a special two-litre boxer engine developed by partner Subaru, is said to handle like a race car but with less damage to the environment. This cherry-red concept car will go on display at the Tokyo Motor Show and aims to rekindle passion for its Corolla AE86 of the 1980s.

The four-seater FT-EV II runs on lithium-ion batteries and has a top speed of more than 100 kilometres an hour.

The electric concept car, less than three metres (9.9 feet) long and has solar panels on its roof and is designed to be easily recharged at shopping malls or at home.

Toyota will also display a new version of its electric concept car — based on its compact Toyota iQ — at the Tokyo Motor Show, which opens to the public from October 24 through November 4.

Toyota, the pioneer of petrol-electric hybrid cars, has said it aims to launch an electric car in the United States by 2012.

Tata to Launch Manza Next Week

Tata Motors will launch its new car, Tata Manza, on the 14^th of this month. The company is trying to make most of the ongoing festival season with this new launch. Tata Manza is the new name given by the company to its to-be launched car, Indigo Vista. And the new car will not be known as Indigo Vista, but Tata Manza.

Tata will launch its Manza in Mumbai by Ratan Tata, the Chairman of the Tata Motors. The Manza will share its platform with Tata Indica Vista. But Manza will be an extended version. The Manza will feature roomy interiors, centrally mounted instrumental panel, projector headlamps, steering mounted audio control, and a dashboard similar that has a superior trim.

The car will have 1.4-litre petrol engine and 1.3-litre multi-jet diesel engine. The car will be priced at Rs. 5.5 lakh for the petrol model and Rs. 7.5 lakh for the diesel model.

New Cars of this Season

In the coming couple of weeks, we are about to witness some new launches in the Indian car market. And the most interesting ones would be the Chevrolet Cruz, BMW Z4, and the Tata Indigo Vista, now renamed as Tata Manza.

The launch of the Cruz will be very crucial for Chevrolet. As the fate of the Chevrolet in India to a large extend depends on the performance of Cruz in India. Tata is also launching its new car, Tata Manza, which was initially named as Tata Indigo Vista, in Mumbai on the 14^th of this month. BMW’s new convertible, Z4 is also expected to hit the Indian market on the October 12. The Z4 will be a two-seater and it will be priced from the range of Rs. 50 lakh to Rs.60 lakh.

The ongoing festival season is the main reason behind the large number of new car launches. The car manufacturers are expecting good business during this time of the year.

Porshe Panamera Launched

Porsche, the German auto maker, has launched the Panamera finally, putting an end to the long wait for the luxury sports sedan. The S, 4S, and Turbo will be the three Panamera variants available. The Porsche Panamera S and 4S will be available in 395bhp 4.8-litre V8 engine and the Turbo has 493bhp 4.8-litre V8 twin turbo engine. The Panamera has a 6-speed manual transmission for the base model and a 7-speed PDK gearbox.

The car has well defined and sporty exteriors and elegant and sophisticated interiors. Porsche Panamera is a four-seater that has all the high tech funstions. The interiors are richly styled with leather, aluminium and wood. For entertainment, it has a High-End Surround Sound System from Burmester. The seats are electrically controllable and have enough leg space and better head rest. The safety features of the car include Porsche stability management, ABS, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake

The Porsche Panamera S is available at Rs.1.44 crore , Rs. 1.49 crore for the Panamera 4S, and Rs. 2.05 crore for the Panamera Turbo.

Cayman, 911 Convertible, and Boxter are other Porsche cars in Indian car market.

Nissan May Launch up to nine Models by 2012

The Japanese automaker Nissan has announced its plans of launching nine models in India within the next three years. The company is planning to manufacture five of them here in India and it will be launched by 2012. And, the company is aiming to garner five per cent of the local market.

Nissan together with Renault, its French parent company, is investing Rs 4,500 crore in a car plant here. This plant will start its commercial production from May next year and employment in the facility will increase to 3,000 by 2012.

Nissan has plan of launching three new models during 2009. But he did not specify the details. The company has just weeks before launched its facelifted models X-trial and Teana, in India.

Nissan is also expected to expand its dealerships from its current 11 to 55 by 2012. The Joint Venture would help in increasing its employee strength to 3,000 by 2012.

Renault’s Indian Plans

Renault, the French carmaker seems to be having an unpleasant time. The company is having a tough phase in the Indian car market. The most adored model of the car manufacturer, which it is producing with a Mahindra & Mahindra partnership, Logan, does not seem to bring the car company enough booty. And now the company has launched a new Logan Play to boost its sale during the festival season.

The ultra-low cost (ULC) car project, which the company has planned with Bajaj Auto and the Renault-Nissan combine also, does not seem to have any progress. The information still available is that there is a long way to go before the car finally gets launched.

The company has announced its plans to build a compact car, which will share its platform with the Nissan compact car. And this sharing of platform by Renault is to save on the money spend on product development. This would be a great helping hand for Renault and let us hope that this generous act by Nissan will help Renault regain its lost glory in India.

Toyota and Honda wants Indian Government to Redefine Small Cars

Toyota and Honda Motors, two Japanese carmakers, have requested the Indian government to transform the standards of classifying small car. And this is because of that the small cars have low tax compared to other car segments. Both the car manufacturers have said that emission norms, passenger safety, and fuel efficiency should be used to classify a car into a small or large car.

Toyota and Honda are both very renowned carmakers of the country and their opinions are expected be viewed seriously by the Indian government. Currently, under the government policy, a car with the length of 4-metre length and has a 1,200 cc petrol or 1,500 cc diesel engine has a lower 8% excise duty compared to 20% duty and there will be an additional Rs 15,000 levied in case of any other cars manufactured in India.

It is also interesting to note that both the companies, Toyota and Honda, are launching small cars in the near future