The automobile industry is changing rapidly. Now a car is not limited to engine, gearbox and wheels. With increasing use of technology, vehicles are moving towards Software Defined Vehicle i.e. SDV. In such a situation, the 106-year-old Suzuki Motor Corporation is also making major changes in its engineering and technology strategy.

The company has unveiled its technology roadmap for the next 10 years, targeting fast-growing markets like India. Suzuki’s focus is on technology that is not only high-tech, but also useful and affordable for the common consumer. The company believes that every country’s roads, traffic and customer needs are different, so a single technology cannot work everywhere.

Suzuki’s focus is on Just Right ADAS

The use of ADAS stands for Advanced Driver Assistance System is growing rapidly in India. However, Suzuki believes that in a traffic heavy market like India, many advanced features are not useful in all situations. Here cars, bikes, autos, pedestrians and other types of vehicles move together on the road. In many places, even lane markings and traffic signs are not identical.

For this reason, Suzuki is working on Just Right ADAS for India. This means that the company wants to offer ADAS features that work well with Indian roads and traffic, but don’t add too much to the price of the car.

The company’s focus will be on Level 1 and Level 2 ADAS features. These may include collision avoidance systems and parking related features. Suzuki says its aim is not to overwhelm the driver with too many alerts or features, but to provide help at the right time. According to Katsuhiro Kato, CTO of Suzuki Motor Corporation, India’s traffic situation is quite different from Japan. Therefore, instead of using a system designed for Japan directly in India, it is necessary to develop ADAS according to the requirements here.

Every small part of the car will weigh less.

Another key part of Suzuki’s technology strategy is lightweighting, i.e. reducing the weight of the car. The company is not only focusing on lightening the big parts, but also refocusing on the smallest components of the car. The company aims to reduce the weight of its flagship cars by around 100 kg. Its benefit will be found in petrol cars as well as in electric cars. The lighter the car, the less energy it requires to drive. In electric cars, this can help make better use of battery capacity and increase driving range.

Suzuki is increasing the use of materials such as high-tensile steel and light alloys for this. The company is also advancing its HeartTech platform technology in this direction. Parts like the body structure, chassis, battery enclosure and e-axle lighter are also being worked on. Interestingly, Suzuki is now focusing on reducing the weight of the nuts and bolts of the car. According to the company, by shortening the M8 bolt head, about 1 gram of weight can be saved per bolt. A car has over 2,000 bolts, so thousands of small changes can reduce weight significantly.

The EV range increased with one change

Suzuki’s electric Kei car eSky is an example. During development, the range of this car was about 230 kilometers. But the company wondered if this range would be enough for a customer switching from an ICE car to an electric Kei car?

After this Suzuki set a goal – try to increase the range from every part. Under this, the rolling resistance of the tires was reduced, the suspension was modified, the power consumption was reduced by reducing the number of LEDs and the gear ratio was optimized. Due to which even a small motor could do a better job.

The result of all these minor changes is that eSky’s range has increased by about 80 kilometers. That is, it was not a single big technological miracle, but the cumulative effect of many small improvements. This thinking of Suzuki may also prove important for the upcoming electric cars in India. In lighter cars, efforts can be made to achieve better range even with smaller batteries. This can help control the total cost of the car.

Focus on hybrids and ICEs along with EVs

Suzuki is not pursuing a strategy of relying solely on electric cars. The company believes that different markets will require different technologies at different times. So, it is preparing to launch EV, hybrid and ICE i.e. petrol engine cars.

The company’s technology strategy includes options such as compact and lean-battery BEVs, next-generation hybrids, lean ICEs, bio-CNG and flex-fuels. Along with this, SDV and connected car technologies are also being worked on.

This strategy may be specific to India, as demand for CNG is already strong here and the market for electric and hybrid cars is also growing. Maruti Suzuki weaned itself off diesel engines in passenger cars in April 2020. Now CNG has become an important option in its portfolio.

Ravi Bhatia, President and Director, JATO Dynamics, says that in the coming time we may see a shift from petrol cars to hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric cars. However, its impact will also depend on what kind of products companies launch in the future.

What’s next for Suzuki?

India’s car market is changing rapidly. Customers are no longer just looking at mileage and price, but safety, connectivity, electrification and smart features are also becoming important. In such a situation, Suzuki is trying to combine its old cost-centric thinking with new technology.

The focus of the company’s strategy is to build a car that is lightweight, consumes less energy, provides ADAS suitable for Indian roads and does not burden the customer’s pocket. Also, by working on different powertrain options like EV, hybrid, CNG and petrol, Suzuki wants to be ready for the changing market.

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