Top 5 MPVs in India

Nissan unveils all-electric TeRRA SUV

With an innovative 4x4 fuel-cell electric powertrain and an athletic exterior that projects an unforgettable presence beyond its compact dimensions, TeRRA takes sustainable motoring into exciting new territory.

Nissan unveils all-electric TeRRA SUV

1.      The Nissan TeRRA SUV concept, unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show combines two outstanding Nissan strengths – SUVs and EVs – in a vehicle that is equally in its element off-road in the wild or gliding silently through a sophisticated urban setting. With an innovative 4x4 fuel-cell electric powertrain and an athletic exterior that projects an unforgettable presence beyond its compact dimensions, TeRRA takes sustainable motoring into exciting new territory.less 

2.      Envisioned as "the one and only Zero Emission SUV," TeRRA builds on Nissan's success with urban-relevant SUVs and crossovers like Murano and Qashqai and asserts that its zero-emission expertise extends all the way to fuel cells. Designed as a functional and flexible choice for tomorrow's youthful, "always on" consumers, TeRRA answers their aspiration for eco-friendliness along with a secure driving feel under any road conditions.less 

3.      "Our challenge was to take Nissan's strength in SUVs and crossovers forward into the zero-emissions era, fuel cells being our new frontier in zero emission mobility" said Francois Bancon, Nissan's devision general manager of product strategy and planning. "Not big and tough for the desert, the aim was a new approach to SUVs that's relevant to urban life. The unique diagonal seating layout that offers an exciting driving experience thanks to exceptional visibility that creates a sense of being in control under any conditions."less 

4.      Tough on the outside, warm and welcoming within
"We took our inspiration from the lifestyles of youthful customers in Northern Europe," said Shiro Nakamura, Nissan senior vice president and chief creative officer. "We heard their aspiration for sustainable mobility that can take them anywhere they want to go."

5.      "Exploring our imagination of that natural space with the exterior, we have redefined the power of the SUV heritage in a much more athletic way, one that expresses our vision of the zero emissions future," Nakamura said.

6.      "You have the big tires, high belt-line, thick pillars and thin side windows of the SUV vocabulary. But with a slender waist between pronounced fenders above the wheel arches, and a sculptured hood, we've created an ‘Implied Structure' of musculature under the skin. Sharp corners, short overhangs and sculptured lamps contribute to a clean, confident stance.

7.      An aerodynamically flat body pan in an eye-catching color, protecting the full length of the underside, completes the image of what we call ‘Modern Toughness.'"

8.      Open the door and exterior toughness gives way to a surprisingly warm and welcoming interior. The door panel is a sculpted fusion of blond wood trim and colored acrylic, layered in an intriguing pattern. Ringing the cabin at shoulder height is a metal frame that gives TeRRA's occupants a feeling of security.

9.      The wood/metal contrast continues across the dashboard, a beechwood-acrylic fusion that exudes a soft warmth. On the driver's side, the steering and instrument console gently tapers out toward the driver, barely interrupting the clean lines of the dash.

10.    Seamless digital space
Facing the driver is a unique instrument cluster. It's an electronic tablet – just like today's popular portable devices – that serves as an "intelligent key." The driver docks it when entering the car and removes it when leaving. When docked in TeRRA, the tablet's default view displays speed and other key performance indicators. But the driver can easily toggle to entertainment, communications, navigation and other views.less 

11.    Outside the car it provides all the functions we expect from a tablet, plus it stays continually in touch with the vehicle.The idea is seamless information and communication, on the road and everywhere else.

12.    Offers a fresh perspective on the road
TeRRA's seamlessly connected driver sits front and almost center in a unique diagonal layout that positions rear passengers over the shoulders of those in front, rather than directly behind. "For the driver to be nearly centered, not seated off to one side, provides a fresh, enlightened perspective with exceptional visibility," Nakamura said. "The diagonal layout allows all passengers to share the vision of adventures up ahead."less 

13.    The seats themselves express a hexagonal motif that is carried through various aspects of the design. Fold the three passenger seats down and you notice that TeRRA's cabin deck is completely flat, presenting no obstacles to carrying bikes, kayaks or assemble-yourself furniture from Scandinavia. This flat surface is a function of the remarkably compact powertrain package that creates the possibility of this zero-emission concept.

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14.    Power, four-by-four; emissions, zero
Although TeRRA is presented as a design concept, not a technical exhibit, its proposed 4x4 fuel cell electric powertrain is far from imaginary.

Powering the front wheels is the electric propulsion system currently featured in the Nissan LEAF. In each back wheel, providing all-wheel power as needed, is an in-wheel electric motor, based on the working prototypes featured in three successive PIVO concepts. As no drive shafts are required to power the rear wheels, there is no hump in the cabin floor or on the underbody. This allows for the flat cabin deck and the underside bodypan.

15.    Under the hood is ample space for Nissan's proprietary hydrogen fuel cell stack: a flat, highly compact unit that features world-leading power density of 2.5kW/L. The latest in a series of Nissan fuel cells since 1996, the stack costs just one-sixth of its 2005 predecessor as the need for expensive precious metals has been slashed to one-quarter of the previous level.

16.    TeRRA is purely a concept car, but it signals that Nissan is ready to mass-produce fuel cell electric vehicles whenever hydrogen becomes widely available.

hot car features of 2013

Killer car apps of the year

Automakers are rolling out cutting-edge high-tech features and migrating last year’s hot new items more broadly across their model lines with increasing frequency these days. With the playing field being relatively level among most comparable models with regard to performance, comfort and quality, manufacturers are leveraging the latest technology to help their vehicles stand out in a crowded market and to help give motorists a reason to trade in their existing rides for the latest models.

Backup Collision Intervention
Infiniti takes the now commonplace backup camera to new levels of complexity in its 2013 JX35 luxury crossover SUV. First, an Around-View Monitor with Moving Object Detection shows both a 360-degree image of the area outside the vehicle and delivers visual and audible warnings if the system “sees” moving objects crossing within the front or rear views when pulling out of a parking space or backing up. A new Backup Collision Intervention System adds another layer of safety to the system with the ability to automatically engage the brakes to help avoid a collision with vehicles and objects crossing its path while in reverse gear the driver either can’t see or isn’t reacting to quickly enough.

Front Center-Mounted Airbag
The redesigned 2013 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia seven-passenger crossover SUVs include the industry’s first center-mounted airbag. The tubular-shaped restraint deploys between the front seats and is designed to help protect the driver from injury in collisions on the passenger’s side when he or she is the only occupant. It’s also expected to provide additional protection to the driver and front passenger in a side-impact crash and help deliver additional safety benefits in rollover situations.

Hands-Free Power Liftgate
The latest twist on remote vehicle access uses neither a keyfob control nor a pushbutton. Rather, the 2013 Ford Escape compact crossover SUV allows those burdened with baggage to engage the available power-operated liftgate via a simple kicking motion with one’s foot under the rear bumper (provided the car’s keyfob is in a pocket or purse). The same process closes the hatch. Mercedes-Benz offers a similar system for hands-free opening and closing the trunk in its 2013 SL-Class hardtop roadster.

    The front center airbag will be introduced on the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Chevrolet Traverse midsize crossovers in the 2013 model.

  Pushbutton Gear Selector
With many automatic transmissions now being electronically controlled, the old analog shift lever is fast becoming superfluous and is making way to alternative means of putting a car in gear. To that end, the midsize 2013 Lincoln MKX brings back the pushbutton gear selector – a feature the industry hasn’t seen since the early 1960’s. This new twist on an old concept frees up center console space by providing buttons to engage park, neutral, reverse and forward gears. Similarly, the 2013 Ram 1500 full-size pickup truck is the first vehicle this side of a Jaguar to offer a dial-in gear selector instead of a shift lever.

Tactile-Warning Safety Seat
The 2013 Cadillac XTS full-size luxury sedan affords a set-of-the-pants approach to accident avoidance with its new Safety Alert Seat that engages pulse patterns on the left or right side of the cushion when the car is, say, drifting beyond highway markers or when it’s in close proximity to other cars or obstacles while parking. Vibrations on both sides of the cushion would alert the driver to threats from the front or rear, such as when the car is coming up too quickly on traffic ahead. The system works in tandem with other visual alerts, and General Motors says its research demonstrates it can quickly and accurately focus the driver’s attention to the direction of impending hazards.

    Text Messaging Assistant
With distracted driving now being a major cause of accidents, and cities/states banning use of handheld devices, automakers are looking at ways to help drivers remain connected, but as safely as possible. To that end, Nissan is debuting a Hands-Free Text Messaging Assistant as part of the new NissanConnect smartphone connectivity system in the 2013 Altima. The system will read text messages aloud to users and enable them to respond, either by voice command or via a steering wheel-mounted button that sends preset text like “driving, can’t text,” “on my way” or “running late.”

1.    'Zero Gravity' Seats
As anyone who drives long distances can attest, sitting in a comfortable driver’s seat can make the difference between an enjoyable and intolerable journey.

1.    Ford Escape SUV features a segment-first hands-free power liftgate that opens with a simple kicking gesture under the rear bumper and without the need to fumble for a key.

The new Infiniti IPL G Convertible made its global debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. With its advanced VQ37HR 3.7-litre V6 engine, the 2013 IPL G Convertible will become the second model in the Infiniti Performance Line lineup when it goes on sale at Infiniti Canada retailers in spring 2012 (CNW Group/Nissan Canada Inc.)

2013 Dodge Dart Will Offer Wireless Cell Phone Charging.

Lincoln MKZ Concept

  2013 Nissan Altima Sedan

 The all-new Cadillac XTS will be the industry’s first car to feature directional tactile sensation to warn drivers of potential crash threats.

 2013 Nissan Altima Sedan

 To help reduce fatigue on road trips and grueling commutes, Nissan is introducing so-called zero-gravity seats on its 2013 midsize Altima sedan. With a design based on posture research from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the new seats utilize a unique articulated seat shape with continuous support from the pelvis to the chest and are said to help reduce muscular and spinal loads, and improve blood flow, thus reducing fatigue.

 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster

    This stops excess water from overshooting and missing the windshield and it also stops the driver from being temporarily blind as traditional jets shoot out windshield washer solution. The Magic Vision Control System is programed to behave differently under different situations.For instance in winter summer or depending on whether the cabriolet top is up or down, it will behave differently. The system automagically varies the amount of water output depending upon speed, ambient temperature, and current driving conditions which include ambient temperature.

Magic Vision Control
The all-new Mercedes-Benz SL has a super-innovative windshield wiper system named Magic Vision Control, which, instead of shooting water from the front hood deck, shoots warm water out of mini-jets built into the windshield-wipers.

   Inductive Charging
In addition to added ways to connect with mobile phones and other devices, at least one car is able to keep such electronics charged without having to plug them in. Available on the 2013 Dodge Dart as a Mopar dealer-installed accessory is a new inductive wireless charging system allows driver to simply set electronic devices in a specified charging zone to keep the juice flowing.

Nissan 370Z

Sports cars are not an everyday sight on Indian roads. The reason is simple - many of them aren’t ‘daily drivers.’ They are mostly taken out of the garage on the weekend for a romp on the highways or a blaze up the twisties. But the Nissan 370Z flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that sports cars are not practical machines. The 370Z offers not just performance, but everyday practicality along with the technological edge.

A bit of history

The Nissan 370Z didn’t come down in the last shower of rain; it boasts of a rich lineage that dates back to 1960s. The original Z was sold in October 1969 in Japan as the Nissan Fairlady Z and then exported to the US with the 240Z nameplate. It took the Americans by storm with its muscular straight-six engine and the sleek design. Six generations of Nissan Z-cars followed and the 370Z pulls mainly from the 350Z, the model it replaces, but with more 240Z into it. The 370Z got curvier, more fluidic with its redesign – seductive to some eyes, more swollen to others - however, it remains clearly a Z to everyone.

Design

Why does a sports car always stand out from the crowd of ordinary cars? It’s primarily because their design implies what they are actually capable of doing. The 370Z may look like a relatively small car in pictures, but in fact it’s a gargantuan of a machine that’s 4,240 mm long and 1,850 mm wide. Reading between the lines, 370Z has a lot in common with the GT-R, especially the long, aggressive bonnet, the air dam and the roofline. Its athletic proportions are further augmented by boomerang-shaped bi-xenon headlights and fishhook taillights. The Z-badged indicators on front fenders are a nice touch. And yes, the 19 inch alloys add to the sporty appeal. The Nissan 370Z is available in two trims – coupé and roadster – and the coupé inarguably has a sleeker presence than the roadster.

The 370Z features the same keyless entry system that we saw on Micra and Sunny; that means the key fob never needs to be pulled out of your pocket. Once inside the car, you will be surprised that there’s nothing exceptional about the cabin per se. Three small round dials on top of the dashboard and the regular instrument dials behind the steering wheel… that’s it. There are no complicated computers that call for special training, all you need is a driving license and confidence to control a wild horse, driving is fun and easy behind the 370Z’s wheel. There are, of course, some accoutrements - a Bose music system, satellite radio, Bluetooth, optional SatNav, to name a few. 

Performance

The best thing about this car is definitely the 3.7-litre V6 dishing out a meaty 332 horsepower. Although maximum torque comes in at a high 5,200rpm, the V6 delivers plenty of thrust across a broad power band. With just 5.5-second 0-100 and 13.7-second quartermile times, it literally pushes you back in the seat and pulls in the horizon at a vehement rate. Power goes smoothly yet vigorously right up to the top speed of 250 km/h, sending shivers down your spine. But the big V6's vocalization fails to turn heads and only gets grumpier as you put your foot down. The Nissan 370Z has both manual and automatic transmission options and I drove the automatic one. However, the manual transmission is supposed to be more fun to drive, thanks to Nissan's unique Synchro Rev Match system that automatically blips the throttle to match engine and road speed, thus making downshifts incredibly smooth.

Ride, Handling and Comfort

Don’t expect this coupé to coddle you. The suspension is stiff, which means roll-free cornering but uncomfortable bumpy roads. Expansion joints on flyovers and bridges cause rhythmic bouncing and speeding on such roads is certainly a bad idea. However, the bolstered seats are comfortable and hold occupants tight while slicing through windy roads.

The car remains firmly planted to the tarmac even at insane speeds and strong brakes are definitely the 370Z’s forte. However, braking felt jittery above 200 km/h but I’m pinning this down to it being a test car for the media that has been around for more than two years.
 
On crazily crowded city roads, I never felt I was behind the wheel of a mighty sports car because the 370Z behaves much disciplined at low end. Ground clearance is decent that it never scraped at any speedbreakers. Nevertheless, driving it around was not so easy that there would always be a forest of camera phone holding hands around you or a couple of ‘exotic car aficionados’ stretching to the window, asking do the doors open sideways or upwards.

If you are a serious sports car fan willing to dole out half a crore, you should find lots to love about the Nissan 370Z coupé. There's more performance and dynamics here than you’d possibly ever need. After all, all automobile experts agree to one point – ‘you need to spend almost double its price on another car to get anywhere close to the 370Z’s capability.’