Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Remember we had written a blog pondering if the Jaguar XJ will be first hybrid car to be fitted with turbine jets just a couple of days ago? Well, it seems that the truth is out and Jaguar XJ will be fitted with the turbines.

In a recent development Island-based micro gas turbine company, Bladon Jets has announced a partnership with Jaguar Land Rover to develop a device fitted to hybrid petrol/electric cars that charges batteries on the go.

This is a good news for us auto enthusiast in India as the Jaguar Land Rover group is now owned and controlled by Tata Motors of India and the day may not be far when Tata Motors brings this technology to India built in their cars for us to experience the feeling in the near future.

Well getting back to the story this Ultra Lightweight Range Extender (ULRE) battery charger allows a hybrid vehicle to travel further without the inconvenience of stopping to charge the vehicle's batteries. The ULRE could be a significant piece of technology in the evolution of the next generation of electric vehicles.

Bladon Jets is leading a consortium that has been awarded funding from the UK government's Technology Strategy Board to develop the ULRE. The objective of the consortium, which includes luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover and leading electrical machine company SR Drives, is to produce the world's first commercially viable ULRE.

Backing for the project was secured in a hotly contested £15 million funding competition organised by the Technology Strategy Board to support the advancement of the mass adoption of low carbon vehicles and is a key part of its wider programme to stimulate technology-enabled innovation and to help boost UK growth and productivity.

The ULRE will incorporate a Bladon Jets' patented axial flow gas turbine engine coupled to a high speed generator utilising SR Drives' technology. Design of the ULRE's packaging for vehicle integration will be overseen by Jaguar Land Rover.

This exclusive technology if goes right in every which ways, will not only lead to the renaissance of the British automotive industry but also the global automotive scene. This could be the future of low carbon vehicle development.

Bladon Jets is a world leader in the development of micro gas turbine engines. Its patented breakthrough axial flow technology enables the production of highly efficient, small gas turbine engines that are ideally suited for use in hybrid electric vehicles. The SR Drives Group is based in Harrogate UK and comprises two operating companies which are Switched Reluctance Drives Ltd (SRDL), and SR Drives Manufacturing Ltd (SRDML).

Both companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of Emerson Electric Co of St Louis, Missouri – the world's largest manufacturer of electric motors. The Technology Strategy Board is an executive non-departmental public body established by the UK government in 2007 and sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The activities of the Technology Strategy Board are jointly supported and funded by BIS and other government departments, the devolved administrations, regional development agencies and research councils.

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Well like the earlier blog that we published on Rock and Roll star John Lennon’s psychedelic Rolls Royce, this blog is very much off-beat form our usual tone of writing blogs.

Nissan Cube is the epicenter of this particular blog. This car very much looks like our own home grown WagonR, but on a chubbier end. Nissan introduced its new Cube a few months ago in the European market. The car will go on sale in Spain this month. Nissan Cube comes in two engine options such as 110 bhp petrol with automatic and 106 bhp diesel.

The most striking feature of the car as you see in these images is the absence of sharp edges and the designer’s usage of curvy laidback retro design. But since this car is some sort of blast from the past as retro is very much in vogue. The Cube is unlike anything known for having an asymmetrical design, which is not very nice at first glance. The front is simple and the back has to optic, in my view, misplaced, since they are almost part of the rear bumper.

Cube has standard equipments like Bluetooth, browser, access and keyless start, and rear parking camera. The rear bench also has three positions for adjusting the backrest recline and is available in attractive colours such as military strategist, White pearl, turquoise sea and bitter chocolate. How does that sound?

We have to say that the model is very interesting and faithfully represents the spirit of the Japanese market, but by taking into account such as the European taste is to imagine not having the expected success. Anyway this is not the last word, so we expect to see the reaction of the audience, and the final price for both versions. The Nissan Cube is for sale in Japan since 1999, and it has reached the European markets only now after almost a decade.

But guess what? No candies for guessing as this car will not be India-bound any time sooner atleast.

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As per the results of the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2009 India Initial Quality Study (IQS) released today, overall new-vehicle initial quality in India has improved notably from 2008. Yes, you just read that right.

The study, which measures the problems of owners and their experience with their new vehicle during the first two to six months of ownership, examines more than 200 problem symptoms covering categories that include engine and transmission, AC, controls and displays, interiors, audio, entertainment and navigation systems and others. All problems are summarized as the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Lower PP100 scores indicate a lower rate of problem incidence and higher initial quality.

Overall, initial quality in India averaged 155 PP100 in 2009, compared with 187 PP100 in 2008 (hence an improvement of 32 PP100). Among the 38 vehicle models also included in the 2008 study, 25 show improvement by at least 10 PP100 in 2009.

Initial quality in the engine and transmission category improves more than in any other category, with 12 fewer PP100 than in 2008. Although excessive fuel consumption continues to be the single issue most commonly reported by owners, this problem area improves more than any other area, compared with 2008.

It is roughly Nine out of 11 automotive manufacturers have improved in initial quality since 2008, and as an industry, manufacturers in India have consistently delivered increasing levels of initial quality throughout the years opines Mohit Arora who is the senior director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore.

Two Honda models rank highest in their respective segments. The Civic(46 PP100) ranks highest in the premium midsize car segment for the second consecutive year, improving by 32 PP100 from 2008. The City (79 PP100) ranks highest in the midsize car segment.

For the third consecutive year, the Chevrolet Spark ranks highest in the compact car segment with a score of 116 PP100. The newly launched Maruti Suzuki Ritz ranks highest in the premium compact car segment with a score of 95 PP100. In the entry midsize car segment, the Ford Ikon ranks highest with 90 PP100. In the MUV/MPV segment, the Toyota Innova (77 PP100) ranks highest for the third consecutive year.

Incidence of problems, particularly during the initial ownership period, leads not only to increased dissatisfaction, but also to lower levels of loyalty and advocacy. Owners who report an initial quality problem are much less likely to repurchase or recommend the same make, compared with those who do not report experiencing a problem. Loyalty and advocacy intentions decline by 9 and 14 percentage points, respectively, among owners who report experiencing problems during the initial ownership period.

The 2009 India IQS, now in its 13th year, is based on evaluations from more than 6,600 owners who purchased a new vehicle between November 2008 and July 2009. The study includes 50 vehicle models covering 13 makes. The study was fielded from May to September 2009 in 20 cities across India.

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