“我們對品牌基因的定義非常清晰，如果你能開遍所有的路虎車，你將會在每一輛車上感受到同樣的特點(diǎn)，” 在西班牙舉辦的捷豹XE國際發(fā)布會上，捷豹路虎（JLR）汽車工程總監(jiān)Mark Stanton對《汽車工程雜志》如是說。
這聽起來似乎是在介紹捷豹是怎樣為車輛設(shè)定工程、技術(shù)、設(shè)計與造型等方面的初始標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的。但事實(shí)并非如此。XE可能是捷豹?dú)v史上最重要的產(chǎn)品，其最初的理念（曾在http://articles.sae.org/13509/有過描述）是來自于有些縹緲的、感性的、甚至是從市場心理學(xué)角度出發(fā)而選擇的關(guān)鍵詞。
“一開始我們?yōu)閄E設(shè)定了幾個市場營銷的關(guān)鍵詞，而它們都不是技術(shù)或工程術(shù)語，” Stanton表示。“這么做是為了用高端的描述去定位這一新車型，捷豹想傳遞給客戶的關(guān)鍵信息，這都是通過營銷術(shù)語來表達(dá)的。我們先選擇了 ‘優(yōu)雅、空間和步伐’以及‘性能的藝術(shù)’等詞語來表達(dá)這輛車的理念，然后再將其變?yōu)楫a(chǎn)品的基因。”
作為汽車工程總監(jiān)，Stanton“掌管著”XE項(xiàng)目的所有工程特征，并能從全局考慮如何將這些詞語在車輛身上變?yōu)楝F(xiàn)實(shí)。“這并不難。我們在牢記這些描述的同時，將新車型的特征像‘剝洋蔥’一樣層層解析，直至觸及能夠體現(xiàn)這些詞語的工程指標(biāo)，”他說。
Stanton和他的核心團(tuán)隊(duì)成員仔細(xì)考察了XE的潛在競爭者，以確保XE將能與該級別所有競品車輛區(qū)分開來：“我們制定了目標(biāo)，并經(jīng)常參考捷豹的‘圣經(jīng)’，因?yàn)?lsquo;圣經(jīng)’是我們的基因。”
盡管要將多種特質(zhì)的結(jié)合，才能構(gòu)成一輛車，但Stanton仍將操縱系統(tǒng)視為重中之重：“它是XE的心臟與靈魂，也是將駕駛員與汽車連接起來的最重要的部分。有些人可能認(rèn)為我們的電動操縱系統(tǒng)有些快，但它可以將我們與其他競爭車型區(qū)分開來。只要開上50米，你就知道你在開捷豹。”
捷豹將下一個工程重點(diǎn)放在整體的底盤性能與發(fā)動機(jī)聲音上。用于兩座F車型的250 kW（349hp）V6發(fā)動機(jī)可在納瓦拉賽道上盡情咆哮，但如果采用捷豹路虎的全新2.0L Ingenium柴油發(fā)動機(jī)，那么降噪要求可就大大提高了。這個型號為AJ200D的發(fā)動機(jī)有兩種功率選擇：118或132kW （158或177hp）。前者的官方二氧化碳排放數(shù)字為99 g/km，搭配最佳燃油時的燃耗為百公里3.8L。
《汽車工程雜志》編輯試用后發(fā)現(xiàn)，這臺發(fā)動機(jī)在高轉(zhuǎn)速時的渦輪表現(xiàn)極為順暢。“我們希望柴油發(fā)動機(jī)更具個性，而且我們打算用科技來實(shí)現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo)，”Stanton補(bǔ)充道。這通常意味著要加上一個主動防噪系統(tǒng)，但他堅持要采用這種設(shè)計“這意味著發(fā)動機(jī)聲音要更加悅耳——我們不想要任何聽起來像人造的聲音，聲音必須自然純正。”
在過去數(shù)十年內(nèi)發(fā)展起來的一些主動防噪系統(tǒng)造價昂貴，結(jié)構(gòu)復(fù)雜，Stanton表示：“不僅如此，而且它們不能呈現(xiàn)XE的純正血統(tǒng)，我們的發(fā)燒友車主一定聽得出來！”
新XE的另一重要特點(diǎn)在于重量控制——在所使用的材料中，鋁占了75%的比例。減重是否已經(jīng)達(dá)到極限了？但Stanton堅信，他們可以做得更好：“我們正在嘗試使用各類材料的可能性，并采用高科技將其優(yōu)化。使用傳統(tǒng)鋼材也不錯，它在防碰撞、NVH性能、減少噪音等方面都具備良好的特性，而使用鋁則不能在降噪方面有更大的效果。我們將在新車型上使用更多的混合材料，其中包括更加經(jīng)濟(jì)的碳材料。”
Stanton認(rèn)為碳材料非常適合加強(qiáng)車身結(jié)構(gòu)的某些部分：“捷豹路虎將在未來幾年內(nèi)持續(xù)為車輛減重。”
新XE的所有版本都采用了大量先進(jìn)技術(shù)，其中包括捷豹新全推出的InControl信息娛樂系統(tǒng)，該系統(tǒng)可將谷歌安卓或蘋果iOS智能手機(jī)與車輛連接。車輛搭載的8英寸觸屏有多種模式可選，能夠直接顯示手機(jī)界面。而當(dāng)用戶通過app升級手機(jī)時，連接開放平臺的XE也可以實(shí)現(xiàn)同步升級。Stanton認(rèn)為將車載信息系統(tǒng)的升級與智能手機(jī)同步起來非常重要。
“不論人們是否使用高科技，他們都想先擁有這些技術(shù)。他們可能只用到其中的5%，但也不愿失去獲得其余95%的機(jī)會！因此我們必須確保最終用戶能夠隨時獲取高科技，而且必須操作簡便。”
當(dāng)被問及捷豹路虎的中長期研發(fā)中還有哪些難題時，Stanton表示：“我們計劃進(jìn)行大規(guī)模擴(kuò)張，未來5年內(nèi)將開展65個研發(fā)項(xiàng)目。從廣義上來說，環(huán)境保護(hù)與可持續(xù)性是我們的研究重點(diǎn)。這并不僅僅涉及到尾氣排放，還包括與環(huán)境相關(guān)的所有問題。比如怎樣確保工廠生產(chǎn)以及產(chǎn)品的處置都符合環(huán)境保護(hù)的要求。這要求我們對車輛的整個生命周期都進(jìn)行分析。但是一旦電氣化成為主流，那么整個局勢都會發(fā)生改變。到時候我們碰到的問題就是如何生產(chǎn)電池，以及如何將它融入汽車生產(chǎn)中。”
這聽上去像是在告訴我們，捷豹路虎將生產(chǎn)更多混合動力汽車，而Stanton肯定了這一猜測。但他并未明確表示XE將推出混合動力的版本，原因之一可能是要綜合考慮目標(biāo)售價范圍和成本效益后再做決定。
對于發(fā)動機(jī)的小型化，Stanton表現(xiàn)出謹(jǐn)慎的態(tài)度：“小不一定意味著好；在真實(shí)的負(fù)載工況下，一臺體積較大且轉(zhuǎn)速相對較低的發(fā)動機(jī)可能才是正確的選擇。我們想要告訴用戶的是，發(fā)動機(jī)排量合理化才是關(guān)鍵。”當(dāng)捷豹的65個研發(fā)項(xiàng)目開展起來以后，對市場銷售們來說，無疑又多了一個激動人心的機(jī)遇。
Jaguar turns marketing speak into engineering reality for XE
“We have a very clear definition of our brand’s DNA, and if you drove all our products consecutively, you would be able to experience that through every one,”Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Director of Vehicle Engineering, Mark Stanton, toldAutomotive Engineering at the international launch in Spain of the Jaguar XE.
This may sound like the introduction to a detailed description of how engineering and technology, in parallel with design and styling, set the initial criteria for the car. But it isn’t quite like that at JLR; the beginnings of the XE (previously described athttp://articles.sae.org/13509/), arguably Jaguar’s most important product to date, can be traced back to the slightly ethereal, emotional, even psychological world of marketing.
“It all starts with marketing words, not technical or engineering terms,” said Stanton. “It is to establish a high-level description of the character of the new car, what Jaguar stands for, and initially to do so very much in marketing terms. We take marketing speak – such as ‘Grace, Space, and Pace’ and ‘The Art of Performance’—and turn it into our DNA.”
As Director of Vehicle Engineering, Stanton “owned” all the engineering attributes of the XE project and could oversee what was needed to create a product that epitomized those words. “It was quite easy; first we peeled down the ‘onion’ of attributes of the new model while keeping the word descriptions until we reached the point of physically creating engineering metrics to deliver on those words,” he said.
Stanton and the major teams were looking carefully at the XE’s potential competitors to ensure that the emerging car would be clearly delineated from everything else in its class: “We set out all the targets, referring constantly to the company ‘bible,’ which is our DNA.”
While it is the blend of attributes that achieves what is required, Stanton puts steering at the top of the list: “It is the heart and soul of the XE and the driver’s salient connection to the car. Our electric power steering may seem a bit quick to some, but it differentiates us from the competition and through it—within the first 50 meters of driving—you know you are in a Jaguar.”
After steering, the engineering focus is on chassis performance as a whole, followed by the sound of the engine. That aural requirement is fine for the snarly 250-kW (349-hp) V6—tested on the Navarra racetrack (Circuito de Navarra)—that is shared with the two-seat F-Type, but not so easy with JLR’s new 2.0-L Ingenium diesel. Designated AJ200D, it comes with a choice of power outputs: 118 or 132 kW (158 or 177 hp); the former achieves official CO2 emissions of 99 g/km and a best combined fuel consumption of 3.8 L/100 km.
Sampled by this Automotive Engineering editor, the engine provides a smooth almost turbine note at higher revs. “We want to put even more character into our diesels, and we have plans to potentially do that via technology,” Stanton added. That usually means active noise systems, but he insisted: “Positive noise: we don’t want anything that sounds artificial, it has got to be genuine.”
Some of the active sound systems experienced over the past couple of decades have been expensive and complex, he stated: “And they did not deliver that genuine DNA character; our expert owners will know if it’s not real!”
Another key criterion of the new XE’s creation was weight control, the car using a material mix with a preponderance (75%) of aluminum. Is weight saving plateauing? Stanton is adamant that more can be done: “We are moving on with the possibilities of different grades of material, and technology is further optimizing them. Putting steel in place is no bad thing. It has such good properties regarding crash performance and NVH—damping noise. Aluminum does not damp noise anywhere near as well. There will be far more use of mixed materials on our models and that will include carbon, which is becoming less costly.”
Stanton sees carbon used “locally” in a car’s structure for reinforcement in some areas where its characteristics are ideal: “At JLR, we’ll see weight continuing to reduce at quite a pace over the next few years.”
All versions of the new sedan have plenty of technology, including Jaguar’s new InControl infotainment system, which links a Google Android or Apple iOS smartphone to the car. The XE’s 8-in touchscreen, which has many modes, is capable of presenting a phone’s content. As that phone is updated via apps, so it updates the XE’s communications capability to introduce an open platform opportunity. Keeping on-board infotainment systems in step with smartphone advances is seen by Stanton as essential.
“People want, or expect, technology whether they use it or not. They may use only 5% of its capability but would not want the remaining 95% taken away! Making access to that technology for end users is very important, and it must be easy to operate.”
Questioned about JLR’s medium- to long-term R&D challenges, Stanton explained: “Our expansion is massive; we have 65 programs in place over the next five years. The environment and sustainability top our priority list—and that is in the broadest sense. We’re not just talking tailpipe emissions, but everything in which we are involved such as ensuring that our factories and the disposal of our products meet our environmental requirements. It means total life cycle analysis. But as you start to get into electrification, the equation changes dramatically—such as the construction of batteries and how that is part of vehicle manufacture.”
This seems to indicate more JLR hybrids, which Stanton confirmed, but he did not confirm a hybrid XE, partially on the grounds of cost-effectiveness in its targeted price range.
He is very cautious about engine downsizing: “Smaller is not necessarily better; a bigger, lazier engine may be the right solution, under real work load, than a smaller [one]. Our message is all about right-sizing of engines.” That is another up-beat opportunity for the marketeers as those 65 programs emerge.
XE必須具備捷豹路虎的基因特質(zhì)，操縱系統(tǒng)的質(zhì)量是其工程研發(fā)重點(diǎn)。
捷豹新推出的XE轎車具備獨(dú)一無二的型號身份。
捷豹路虎的Mark Stanton解釋如何根據(jù)市場營銷詞匯來設(shè)計XE。
將早已確定的操縱、底盤與發(fā)動機(jī)噪音控制等特性呈現(xiàn)出來是，XE最重要的工程標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。
XE所使用的材料中75%為鋁，但捷豹路虎將在未來的車型上使用更多的碳材料。
與F型跑車一樣，XE的引擎蓋下安裝的也是3.0L V6發(fā)動機(jī)，而且它的噪音也符合要求。
“全路況自適應(yīng)控制系統(tǒng)”并不屬于傳統(tǒng)的捷豹基因，但用在新XE身上可謂如虎添翼。