Design & Innovation

Everyone is aware of Tata launching a $2500 car in India this year. Tata initially use to concentrate on manufacturing big lorry trucks which were used for transporting various goods from one place to another. Tata made a few cars like Tata Seirra, Tata Estate and Tata Sumo which were successful but Tata didn’t put too much emphasis on design and technology. All these cars were rough and tough cars. In 1998, Tata was the first Indian company to design a modern car: Tata Indica, which was a success in the Indian market. In 2008, Tata will be launching Tata Nano and Tata is also working on the world’s first compressed air car which will be called Tata OneCat which will be more efficient than any present Hybrid car. In March 2008, Tata purchased Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford. All in all, Tata is an innovative company which can has a long way from designing lorry trucks to designing small cars and they have attained great amount of success. Tata Nano 

At the end of our design tour I rented a car for one day. Although I didn’t ask for it, I was given a Toyota Prius. This was the first time I ever drove a Prius and I was very impressed. The Prius is of course known for its hybrid technology and from a design standpoint it is well conceived and is likely the most recognizable hybrid vehicle in the world. Less expected perhaps is that the Prius is also fun to drive and aesthetically pleasing. Although it is considered a sub compact in terms of its size, the Prius feels very spacious because of the way the interior is laid out. The dashboard is pushed forward giving the driver a sense of being in a much larger car. The ride in the Prius is very smooth and controlled even at higher speeds, something I would not have expected from a car that size. The Prius also has a very cool central display for all of the car’s systems including climate control, radio and a real time system display. The system display shows the driver how the car is being powered- by electric motor or engine – battery level, when the battery is recharging etc. The central display also simplifies the interior. Even though the car has many features and capabilites the driver is not overwhelmed by too many knobs, buttons and displays.  If you get the chance to drive one I recommend it. http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/index.html