PASSENGER CARS. verall Trends. 1 Introduction. 2 State of Vehicle Production, Sales, and Exports

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1 PASSENGER CARS verall Trends 1 Introduction 2 State of Vehicle Production, Sales, and Exports Table 1 Passenger car production in leading manufacturing countries.

2 Table 2 Passenger car production according to manufacturer and country. Table 3 Passenger car production in Japan. Table 4 Number of passenger cars exported from Japan according to destination. Table 5 Passenger car sales in Japan. Table 6 Used vehicle sales in Japan.

3 Table 7 Imported vehicle sales in Japan. Table 8 Passenger car sales in leading manufacturing countries and share of Japanese vehicles.

4 3 Vehicle sales in markets outside Japan Design Trends 1 Introduction 2 Pursuit of Added Value for Environmentally Friendly Vehicles

5 Fig. 8 Toyota C-HR Fig. 4 Bentley Bentayga Fig. 9 Nissan Gripz Fig. 5 Jaguar F-Pace Fig. 10 Fiat 500X Fig. 6 Lexus RX Fig. 11 Jeep Renegade Fig. 7 BMW X1 (Fig. 3) and achieves a sporty style that reflects its improved acceleration. These and other advances in basic performance coupled with added value features convey the intent to build a new added value format characteris- 3 Expanding Market Penetration and Differentiation on Various Levels for Crossovers The unbroken momentum exhibited by crossovers in the last few years remains strong, and they have drawn tic of electric vehicles. If the robust economy and low crude oil prices ob- attention with their expansion into the upper luxurious served in North American markets this year persist, hy- segment seen at the International Motor Show Germany brid, electric and other environmentally friendly vehicles in Frankfurt. The launch of crossovers such as the Bent- will have to offer their own distinctive added value to ley Bentayga (Fig. 4) or the Jaguar F-Pace (Fig. 5) was counter the attention directed at the premium segment announced by luxury brands whose lineup did not in- and large pickup trucks. clude such vehicles. Prodded by the successes of Porsche, BMW and other early crossover adopters, these luxury brands are endeavoring to capitalize on their brand image to differentiate their products and make them allur- Copyright 2016 Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. All rights reserved

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7 Fig. 19 Nissan IDS Concept (Manual Drive) Fig. 18 Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion strengthening the selling points are to be expected. This will be done by focusing on specific values and further reinforcing them or by adding new ones to an iconic brand. 4 Enriching Brand Image through Sports Cars Many striking models were announced in the past Fig. 20 Nissan IDS Concept (Piloted Drive) year, of which the Mazda Roadster (Fig. 12) is an excel- the original Ford GT40, a race car whose success in- lent example. cludes winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the past, is Rated so highly that it won awards such as the 2016 well-known and popular in Europe and around the world. World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the In counterpoint to its styling and driving performance Year as well as the Car of the Year Japan, this car does closely resembling those of a race car, its turbocharged, not compromise on the joy of handling and is also recog- small displacement engine and light weight also promote nized for its continued presence in the market. The its consideration for the environment. Visible appeals to Roadster not only contributed to raising awareness of environmental performance are important and need to and improving the Mazda brand image, but also chal- be reflected in the design. In the pursuit of improved lenged the status of the car from being just a functional aerodynamic performance, the rear of the Ford GT cabin tool. The design follows the concept of (rider has been tapered with thin panels of structural material and horse as one) and aims to intensify the sense of vital- connecting the roof to the rear fender (Fig. 14). This is a ity of Mazda s unique soul in motion design. The low shape made possible by the use of carbon fiber in its ba- center of gravity and accentuated exterior styling em- sic structure and outer panels, which visually express bodies modern lightweight sportiness through tense sur- the aerodynamic, lightweight construction. Design trends faces and line puality as well as a 3 dimensional construc- reflect the ideas of their time, not only for cars, but also tion of large volumes. in general. The theme of lightness is in vogue, and the The vehicle also advocates beautiful proportions that expressions of layering and floating themes seen in the make the driver look good, which is considered a crucial fashion and construction industries are also influencing point in this category where driving with an open top is automobile design. assumed. In this day and age where Internet-based im- The Porsche Mission E (Fig. 15) announced at the In- pressions are pervasive, visibly conveying enjoyment via ternational Motor Show Germany is gathering attention the people driving the vehicle represent a highly effec- as a concept study of the transition to PHVs and EVs by tive form of communication. Such goals also constitute brands that have traditionally espoused high class and major elements of brand image creation. high performance. In addition to realizing high EV per- The Ford GT announced in Detroit (Fig. 13) presents the allure of youth and vigor while also unmistakably re- formance, it features a simple, agile and attractive design that seeks to become the symbol of a new Porsche era. flecting environmental concerns and technological trends. The Acura NSX (Fig. 16) also falls in the super sports This second generation of the 2005 revival model repre- car category while demonstrating the unique concept of sents an example of building upon the brand heritage of a three-motor HV with a mid-engine layout as for the Copyright 2016 Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. All rights reserved

8 5 Issues in Automated Driving and Influence on Design 6 Summary: the Expanding Scope of Design

9 1 Trends in Body Structures 2 Technological Trends Concerning Required Body Performance

10 3 Technological Trends to Mitigate Weight Increase and Satisfy Performance

11 crease strength. Consequently, initiatives such as extending the current application time, or widening the nugget diameter through measures such as raising the accuracy of the body to increase the contact surface area between sheets, are being carried out. Cases involving the concurrent use of spot welding and laser welding or bonding for the purpose of further improving strength and rigidity have become more common. After using laser screw welding (LSW) for the Lexus NX, Toyota extended its scope and also applied it to the new Prius. Tremendous advances are being made in technologies to bind different materials such as aluminum or CFRPs to steel sheets, as those technologies are essential to weight reduction. Matching various rivets or screws to the materials in use ensures joining as firm as spot weldfig. 2 Audi Q7 8 ing in a stable manner. While increasing the use ratio of materials with high strength or a low specific gravity reduces weight, it also makes repairs more difficult and increases the burden on the end user, which simultaneously creates a greater need for less expensive materials and structural designs Structure ideas Structural continuity In 2012, Honda became the first automaker in Japan to adopt an inner frame structure, following up its use in the N Series and the Fit with its adoption in the new Civic models produced outside Japan. It eliminated the need for service holes required for the welding gun to Fig. 3 BMW 7 Series CFRPs access the frame joints by only adding a welding process for the inner panels, thereby efficiently increasing torsional rigidity (a 25% improvement over the previous Having significantly shortened the conventional CFRP generation). This structure, which makes it possible to molding cycle, BMW started mass producing the i3 for increase performance without adding mass, could spread the first time in That technology has also been to other manufacturers. In a different vein, various struc- used in the new 7 Series model. Where the i3 featured a tures are being suggested for tailgate openings, which cabin consisting entirely of CFRP, the 7 Series sought play an important role in ensuring the body rigidity in even greater weight reduction in terms of the ratio to two-box vehicles. the metal part of the vehicle body by primarily attaching Cross-section optimization the CFRP to part of the metal cabin frame. This material Beyond the obvious possibility of determining the is expected to become more widely adopted when cost lightest size and shape allowing full use of cross-sectional reducing technologies advance further. strength without redundancy, evolving CAE technologies Joining also allows designers to use data mining to optimally bal- In the spot welding of high strength steel, welding ance multiple frames(10). A technique that sets foamable strength generally does not rise in proportion to the plastic in the cross-section and applies localized cross- strength of the steel sheets because heat-affected areas section strength increases was developed for the Mazda manifest at the circumferential edge portion and de- Demio launched in 2014, and it is expected to see broad- Copyright 2016 Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. All rights reserved

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