The jumbo A380, which would soon become part of India with companies like Kingfisher purchasing them, has India connection. Regarded as the future of commercial aviation, the double-deck, four-engined megaliner uses the CADDS5 solution from PTC, a 3D Mechanical Computer Aided Design (MCAD) modeling suite used for design and engineering of aeroplanes. 

The CADDS5 solution, which was used by Airbus A380 for large assembly design, such as the interiors of the fuselage was developed and is currently being managed by the PTC R&D centre in Pune. CADDS5 is a unique hybrid concurrent engineering architecture that allows large groups of engineers to simultaneously design, document, assemble, validate and machine the same product assembly, making it an ideal choice for Airbus A380.

IBM and Dassault Systèmes recently announced the availability of 3DLive collaborative intelligence solutions to maximize interaction, improve decision making and accelerate innovation. 3DLive leverages the full power of real-time 3D through an intuitive user interface to search, navigate and collaborate online, which puts product intellectual property (IP) at the fingertips of everybody involved in PLM activities, wherever they are. 

“3DLive literally puts all stakeholders on the same page, using 3D as a universal media through which they can work together, accelerating decision making and driving innovation, in production, marketing, project management and at the executive level. We are leveraging the PLM IP we built up over the years in new ways,” says Thierry Delaporte, VP Deputy Operation Office, Space Engines Division, Snecma, SAFRAN Group. “With 3DLive, we can maximize our existing PLM investments.” 

“With 3DLive, Dassault Systèmes is introducing its next generation of online 3D applications, which will use 3D as a powerful online media to expand collaborative product innovation communities,” says Dominique Florack, senior executive vice president, product - R&D, Dassault Systèmes. 3DLive is a revolutionary lightweight solution composed of ‘live’ applications that broaden the collaborative nature of PLM, first available for CATIA, ENOVIA and DELMIA. 

“3DLive is a truly revolutionary solution that offers benefits never before envisioned in product development and team collaboration,” explains Al Bunshaft, vice president, IBM PLM Solutions. “The power to conceptualize, develop and deliver products in a shared environment over the Web presents enormous possibilities for customers seeking an advantage in the fast-paced and ultra-competitive markets where they do business.” 3DLive will become available to all customers by late June.

Maruti Udyog has emerged as leader in online car search. Maruti's 800 model was the highest searched car in India says Sams Auto Trade Pvt Ltd, the company that runs a number of automobile portals. Maruti cars were searched nearly half a million times over the last year says India's leading automobile portal CarSalesIndia.com. It is well ahead of other competitors by over a quarter million search hits. 

The company also said that the number of visitors and used car searches hit a new record high. It has recorded over 2.2 million search hits during April 2006 - March 2007, an increase of over 200% over the same period in the previous year. The company recorded over 1 million search hits for the same period in the previous year. 

In the search results announced, Hyundai cars were the second highest with over 1.6 lakhs hits, closely followed by Tata and Ford with Tata vehicles with over 1.29 lakh search hits. Ford cars registered over 1.09 lakh hits. 

In the small car segment, Maruti 800 leads with over 90 thousand hits, followed by Hyundai Santro at over 70 thousand hits. From the Maruti stable, Zen has also registered strong demand in the market with its hits over 65 thousand. Tata Indica has recorded over 45 thousand search hits. 

In the medium-sized sedan segment, Maruti Esteem and Ford Ikon are competing closely for the top position with Esteem registering over 58 thousand hits, followed by Ikon at 55 thousand hits. Hyundai Accent registered over 44 thousand search hits; Honda City recorded over 41 thousand hits. In the SUV segment, Mahindra Scorpio leads the race with over 30 thousand hits followed by Toyota Qualis registering over 20 thousand hits.

Car market leader Maruti Udyog unveiled SX4 sedan, a feature-packed car that is powered by the global M-series engine and built on a brand new platform. This is the second global car, after the Swift, from Suzuki Motor Corporation, the parent company of Maruti Udyog. The SX4 is making its debut in India, before being launched in Europe and Japan. 

With a localisation level of 79%, the SX4 is said to be more suitable for Indian conditions, especially in areas like suspension tuning, ground clearance, engine tuning and seat comfort. The car will be manufactured at Maruti Udyog’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Manesar. 

Speaking at the launch Jagdish Khattar, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Udyog, said “SX4 sedan is just the right car with which Maruti Udyog can reinforce its presence in the A3 segment and enhance its leadership. The large number of customers who bought our compact cars 4-5 years ago, and also Esteem and Baleno customers, will now choose the SX4 as the next upgrade option. Besides, people who like to own a Maruti Suzuki car, but were considering moving to competitors because we did not offer an A3 segment car of their choice, will now choose the SX4 sedan”. 

The SX4 sedan sports an advanced M series engine that represents the future of Suzuki’s engine technology. Designed to comply to Euro 4 and Euro 5 norms in future. the 4-valve, 1.6 litre engine will produce a maximum power of 102 bhp @5500 rpm. The engine also has a high torque of 145Nm @4200 rpm. 

The SX4 sedan is claimed to be the tallest, widest and the longest car in its class, and comes with a boot space of 505 litres. The ground clearance is 102 mm, also claimed to be the highest in the A3 segment. Features include a music system integrated with the dashboard, with audio control on the steering wheels. The antenna is embedded in the glass, further enhancing aesthetics of the car. An illuminated key insert and variable instrument illumination are among the other features. Safety features include ABS, EBD and Dual SRS airbags. 

The SX4 sedan is available in two variants: Vxi and Zxi. In addition, the Zxi comes with the option of a leather pack comprising leather seats, leather steering cover, and leather door trims. The models are priced Rs. 6,18,000, Rs. 6,89,000 and Rs. 7,24, 000 (all ex-showroom Delhi) respectively.