Infiniti EX (EUDM) to get blind spot warning system

Infiniti's sporting coupe crossover, the EX (aka Nissan Skyline Crossover), is getting a new Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system for 2011. This safety feature, which uses both audible and visual signals to alert the driver for an adjacent vehicle in the blind spot area, is a very helpful safety system and it will be fitted as standard to the top-selling EX GT Premium versions of both V6 petrol and V6 diesel models.

Well, it is not a new technology since Volvo offers it the last few years, but having owned a Volvo with BLIS (this is how Volvo calls it), I have to admit that it's an impressive safety feature and extremely useful for motorcycles approaching the car.

In the case of the EX, each time a vehicle enters the blind spot area, amber lights at the base of the door mirrors start to blink. If the driver activates the indicator, showing an intention to change lanes, the lights are supplemented by a warning sound – further indication of a potentially dangerous situation.

Blind Spot Warning is not the only innovative technology, as EX is offered with other intelligent systems such as Intelligent Cruise Control, Intelligent Brake Assist, Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Prevention.

New Suzuki MR Wagon to achieve fuel efficiency of 26.5 km/L

The new Suzuki MR Wagon will not continue the rounded design of the current model, but it will adopt a box-shaped exterior design instead and it is expected to be launched on 20 January.

Suzuki has revealed that it will have a fuel efficiency of 26.5 km/L under the 10-15 test cycle (Daihatsu's new Move achieves 27.0 km/L and Toyota's new Vitz 26.5 km/L), which will come equipped with a CVT gearbox and a stop/start system. 

[Source: Response]

Daihatsu cuts cost of stop/start system by 70%

Daihatsu has managed to reduced the cost of its stop/start system by 70%. The new system is installed in the new Move (earlier post), called "eco IDLE", and its mass has been reduced as well from about 10kg to 4kg.

"In order to achieve the reduction in cost and mass, the number of parts had to be reduced. The old system, as used as in the Mira, consisted of a battery, starter, dedicated ECU (electronic control unit), hydraulic brake holding system, electric hydraulic pump for its CVT, electric double layer capacitor that prevents the instantaneous drop of voltage at start-up and so forth.

The new one, uses the same battery and starter, but Daihatsu eliminated the electric hydraulic pump, replaced the capacitor with a DC-DC converter integrated with the ECU, embedded the hydraulic brake holding system in the ABS (antilock brake system) in place of a dedicated solenoid valve.