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Fine
art of downsizing produces The Liana/Aerio
Suzuki Engineers Achieve
a Delicate Balance of Style and Comfort |
Always a forerunner in the history of compact vehicle manufacturing,
Suzuki leads the global trend toward downsizing as a key element of environmental responsibility.
Suzuki leadership requires that our engineers further improve our products —already
small, lightweight and efficient — by exploiting Suzuki?s deep engineering
expertise and cutting-edge technologies. The Liana — designed for “Life
In A New Age” — is a product of that commitment. Compared to its Baleno
predecessor, the Liana achieves a more spacious cabin that comfortably accommodates
five adults, while facilitating entry and exit of front and rear passengers. “With
the Baleno?s front seat all the way back, rear-seat passenger knee space was cramped,”
said Toshiaki Takanishi, Deputy Staff Manager of Group I, Automobile Body Design
Dept. “So our packaging design started with a clear goal: realize ample space
for all occupants, regardless of size, without altering the basic platform of
the Baleno.”
But if the length and width of a car are fixed, how do you expand interior space?
Takanishi and his team found the answer vertically. “The Liana is 160mm taller
than the Baleno, an increase that allowed us to set the hip points of front and
rear occupants higher, and make the seatbacks longer and more upright. That moved
people?s hip points 15mm forward in the front and 30mm backward at the rear, opening
up more knee clearance for rear-seat passengers,” said Takanishi. Yet even
with seating higher, the Liana still has more headroom, increased by 155mm (+40mm)
at the front and 120mm (+30mm) at the rear. Combine that with expanded shoulder
space, thanks to more vertical doors and windows, and you have a more comfortable
cabin.
The raised seating of the Liana also contributes to other important improvements.
Occupants now have a liberating wider field view. “Furthermore, optimized
hip-point heights enable easier cabin access with less vertical movement of occupant?s
body,” said Takanishi. “And in addition to the hip-point height, we
examined and sculptured every detail related to entry and exit.” The height
from the floor to the side sill was shortened, by inserting a 50mm-thick polyethylene-terephthalate
fibre layer that also absorbs road noise under the floor carpet. Front pillars
were reshaped for less interference and the rear-seat pan is sculpted to ease
motion. All doors open more widely, and taller openings facilitate entry without
stooping. “All of these designs also considered styling, performance and
safety, so we really achieved a delicate balance in the Liana,” concluded
Takanishi proudly.
 Suzuki
commits engineers to the perfection of compact automobiles. Does Takanishi ever
feel restricted by that? “Not at all,” he answered, “Our company
has always created small yet superbly high-performance vehicles; now the industry
is finally trying to catch up. For me, it's a great pleasure to be leading the
industry as a Suzuki engineer.” |
