I have to design a utility vehicle for suburbs and cities. It would basically be a competitor to Tata Ace. What safety, aerodynamics and ergonomics suggestion can you'll give me? Should I use a sandwich type chassis like A-Class to make it really very safe? But won't it increase the cost? Tata Ace comes for around $5500.I have to design the car from scratch and I'm totally new to such a scenario. So I would be needing some assistance from your side.
I'm mentioning some details of Tata Ace.
RegardsThe Tata Ace is a mini-truck (similar to Japanese Kei Truck) lauched in May 2005 by Tata Motors in India. It has revolutionized the entire commercial vehicle industry with robust sales figures. It is in competition with the prevalent three-wheeled goods carriers from Bajaj Auto, Piaggio, Mahindra and Force Motors.
In June 2007 Tata Motors launched the passenger variant of the Ace, named Magic and also India's first Maxivan - The Tata Winger, on a new platform. The company's objective is "to change the way an average Indian travels" Tata Motors' two new vehicles Magic and Winger will attempt to cater to the two ends of the light commercial passenger segment.[3]
"Tata Motors has always been at the forefront with its commitment to offer transportation solutions, which will change the way India travels. The Magic and the Winger are our latest initiatives in that direction and more will follow,"[4] said P. M. Telang, executive director of Tata Motors commercial vehicle business unit.
The Magic is the passenger version of the Ace mini-truck, the new Magic features an all-steel cabin. It offers a flexible seating capacity of 4-7 passengers with adequate legroom.
Powered by a 16 bhp (12 kW), 700 cc water-cooled diesel engine, the Magic offers high fuel efficiency and very low maintenance. The 12-inch tyres provide higher ground clearance, and the rigid front axle is designed to handle tough roads. The Magic's turning radius of 4.3 metres (14.1 ft) is nimble enough to navigate the bylanes and traffic of India's crowded cities. The Magic has a clearly visible instrument cluster, utility tray and a digital clock in the dashboard and also a provision for fitting a radio.
According to Tata Motors Vice-President (sales and marketing) Mr Shyam Mani, the Magic is its "...initiative to change the way people travel in India. It brings with itself safe, comfortable and four-wheeler public transport. This is an aam junta (common man) car. It’s not competing with any of the existing vehicles; it’s creating totally new market segments just like the Ace."[4] company's Vice-President (sales and marketing) Mr Shyam Mani said.
The Magic meets BS-III emission norms and has been developed for use in any market — be it urban, semi-urban or rural. It is backed by a 36,000 km/12-month warranty. The Magic range starts at Rs 2.60 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune).
Tata Motors' two new vehicles, Magic and Winger, are expected to cater to the two ends of the taxi segment. The Winger, which is a sturdier and more refined product, will attempt to wrestle market share in the Staff (ITES/ BPO employees) transportation segments, Hotel & Inter-urban Tourist segments, Airport drop & pickup etc.
Both the Magic and the Winger are being launched nation-wide, starting with Maharashtra and Gujarat, after which availability will be extended to other parts of the country in a phased manner.
Rachit