Automotive Exterior Design

MSRSAS - Postgraduate Engineering and Management Programme - PEMP
ASSIGNMENT
Module Code Module Name Course Department
Name of the Student Reg. No Batch Module Leader
Abhishek Karunakar BYB0912015 Full-Time 2012. Divya Darshan C.S
M.S.Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies

Automotive Exterior Design
Postgraduate Engineering and Management Programmes(PEMP)

#470-P, Peenya Industrial Area, 4th Phase, Peenya, Bengaluru-560 058 Tel; 080 4906 5555, website: www.msrsas.org
POSTGRADUATE ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (PEMP)

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APD2504 Automotive Exterior Design M.Sc.[Engg] in Automotive Product Design Automotive & Aeronautic Engineering
Declaration Sheet Student Name Reg. No Course Batch Module Code Module Title Module Date Module Leader Abhishek Karunakar BYB0912015 M.Sc[Engg], APD 2012 -13 APD2504 Automotive Exterior Design to 13.05.2013 Divya Darshan C.S 15.06.2013 Batch Full-Time 2012
Declaration The assignment submitted herewith is a result of my own investigations and that I have conformed to the guidelines against plagiarism as laid out in the PEMP Student Handbook. All sections of the text and results, which have been obtained from other sources, are fully referenced. I understand that cheating and plagiarism constitute a breach of University regulations and will be dealt with accordingly.
Signature of the student Submission date stamp

(by ARO)
Date
15.06.2013
Signature of the Module Leader and date
Signature of Head of the Department and date
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Abstract This report delivers an insight into how exterior design can be effectively used to improve the overall present ability of a vehicle. In Part A discussion is made whether an Indian Customer buys a new car based only on its aesthetic appearance. The chapter is concluded with the final understanding and inference. Part B consists of market survey on the Product Renault Duster and the design flaws that is widely observed by the car owners. These design flaws have been rectified and concept is generated based on these solutions. Weighted Ranking method is used to select the best solution. Part C is the final stage of visualizing the vehicle in a virtual environment. The 2d sketches are converted into 3d models in a freeform Surfacing tool Alias. The model is rendered in a rendering platform and presented with different views. Conclusion is drawn on the basis of practicality of the design and the aesthetic appeal.
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Contents 1. Concept Car 1.1 Introduction..........................1 1.2 Introduction with case studies.........................1 1.3 Conclusions..3 2. Vehicle concept generation 2.1 Introduction....4 2.The Product.........................................4 2.3 Market Survey ....................................5 2.4 Redesign........................................................................................................10 2.5 Conclusion.....................................................................................................15 3. Surface Modeling 3.1 Introduction16 3.2 Alias ..Modeling............................................................................................15 3.3 Rendering.....18 3.4 In context rendering......................................................................................20 3.5 Conclusion....................................................................................................21 3.6 Module Learning Outcomes.........................................................................22 References
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List of Figures __________________________________________________________________________
No 1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10
Description Sales comparison for January 2013 Hyundai i10 & i20 exterior comparison Chevrolet SRV Renault Duster Renault Duster Fascia Renault Duster Rear view Door knob Sill Panel OVRM knob Rear Aircon tower Boot space AC Knob location Radio and Media Control Module Visual Theme Board Concept Generation Concept 1 with Metaphor Concept 2 with Metaphor Concept 3 with Metaphor Manual Rendering 2d views Surface Model in Alias Interface Curves for Modeling Surace Analysis Rendering Rendering Rendering Rendering Rendering In Context Rendering
Page No 1 2 3 4 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 13 14 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 21
List of Tables ____________________________________________________________________________ Table No Description Page No 2.1 Weighted Ranking 14
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PART-A CHAPTER 1 1. Concept Car 1.1 Introduction: Whenever a new automobile is introduced in Indian Market the rate of sale is predominantly dependent on the cost, mileage and seating capacity. The dynamics of car sales in India is very different from other countries because compared to other regions in India Economy is given higher priority than aesthetics. Although this has been the case for long time but now the dynamics has changed because of new international companies penetrating the market with outlandish designs at similar economy to the regular car favorites like Maruti Suzuki & Tata. It can be debatable that whether a customer will choose look over economy in rural zones but in a wider spectrum economy and capacity still outweigh aesthetics.
1.2 Explanation with Case Studies: It can be globally expected that the vehicle appearance will have a proportional influence on the vehicle sale rate but it doesnt mean that a vehicle with average looks and better economy will not do good. The prime examples for this are the Maruti Suzuki hatchback Alto & Wagon R. Even though the these vehicles have average exterior appearance compared to Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo etc. their sales figure were very high.
Figure 1.1, Sales comparison for January 2013[1]
In the Figure 1.1 it is noticeable that the economy hatchbacks like Wagon R & Alto are still in the leading the market share. It safe to say that economy hatchbacks concentrate more on the cost saving and performance scale and low on the aesthetics. But Figure 1.1 does not totally define the market situation. Modern customers are trending towards buying premium hatchbacks like Ford Figo & Hyundai i20 as symbol of social status. It is evident that people buying premium hatchbacks send a clear statement of having a better economic stability. Premium hatchbacks are not only loaded with better performance engine and comfort but also better aesthetics. This comparison can be made between the two cars launched in the same segment that is Hyundai i10 and i20. The sales of i10 was better initially because of the lower cost and superior exterior design but slowly i20 sales has risen and as seen in Figure 1.1 it has surpassed the i20 sales. These can be directly related to the urban commuters working in IT industry or Businessmen.
Figure 1.2, Hyundai i10 & i20 exterior comparison [2] Comparing the exterior design of the two cars the i10 has a very friendly stance with round shapes dominating the whole visual appeal whereas the i20 has a more aggressive stance with distinct feature lines, head lamp bleed, large fog lamps and a smaller front grill and a sharp curvature on the fascia. Aesthetically i20 is appealing but it also features several extra features compared to i10 and hence the sales domination cannot be credited to better exterior design. Chevrolet SRV launched in 2006 had very beautiful exterior design which looked like a trance between Sedan and a hatchback. But still the product failed badly because of the poor interiors and technical issues. The product could not attain good sales because of its exterior look alone. Indian customers are accustomed to study the features offered by the car before buying the
vehicle. These features include space, economy, resale value, servicing and many other features including exterior design.
Figure 1.3, Chevrolet SRV [3] Any example of car with beautiful exteriors is San Motors, Storm launched in 1998. The car failed to grabs customer attention even though it was priced fairly and had better exterior appeal. The reason is that it had low performance engine inferior to other premium hatchbacks of similar costs. From all these examples and case studies it is evident that most of the Indian car buyers do extensive research before buying a car. Some studies have inferred that most of the buyers do their research in internet and from showrooms. For Indian Buyers economy and service are prime interest and aesthetics comes later as a priority. But studying the trend of car sales in recent past this scenario is gradually. Although buyers are not blindly buying an aesthetically pleasing vehicle but are very much attracted to different vehicle designs.
1.3 Conclusion: From the above exercise it is clear that the car buyers do not buy a car based on aesthetics but external design plays a vital role in creating a brand image. Also the recent trends show that the future Indian Automobile will be driven by good looking vehicles. Hence exterior design will play a major role in generating future best sellers.
PART-B CHAPTER 2 ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Renault Duster 2.1 Introduction: Renault Duster released to the Indian market in July 2012 is a compact SUV with 4 cylinder, 1.5L Engine and 5 seating capacity. Many of the Renault products launched in India before have failed miserably but the Renault Duster has acted as a game changer. The time of its launch has been very apt as both urban & rural commuters are trending towards alternative options to regular hatchbacks and sedans.
Figure 2.1, Renault Duster [4]
2.2 The Product: Renault has aimed at targeting a wider spectrum of car enthusiasts by launching this compact SUV, the first of its kind based on the wheel base length. Many new compacts like Ford Eco- Sport and Skoda Yeti are in the same platform but because of the low pricing and simple design Duster is leading the market.
Brand: Renault even though is a leading car manufacturer in the world market, its track record in India isnt very special. Its previous partnership with Mahindra yielded the Logan which has not
been accepted well by the Indian Customer. Cheap Interiors and fairly orthodox design were the prime reasons. The other releases by Renault on its own like Pulse, Fluence and Koleos have failed miserably in the market. Renault has taken a bold step to acquire an uncharted territory of Indian Market which is the compact SUV segment.
Segment: Compact SUV although is not new for western customers, Indian customers are mostly familiar with bulky SUVs like Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Sierra which are expensive and impractical for rural commuters. Compact SUV provide a trance between a hatchback and SUV providing a more family friendly vehicle which can also me tortured for off road treats. The Duster is nowhere close to a hatchback with high ground clearance, outlandish wheel arches and ample boot space.
Target Customer: Compact SUV segment in itself appeals to a wide variety customers. Urban commuters will like the product because a low cost, large boot space and high ground clearance for off roading. Rural Mid class customers with a small family will like the product for its ample space and the cost not as high as average SUV. Youngsters of India have a great interest in buying and driving SUV but because of the large price tag cannot buy it. But this alternative of SUV has surely provided a good offering.
2.3 Market Survey: To understand how the vehicle is holding its ground in the market and what design changes need to be addressed to hold its ground, a market survey is necessary. Based on the comments from Duster customers met personally, telephonic interviews and internet research some prevalent problems have been identified and solutions mentioned with them.
Exterior: Even though most of the customers are pleased with the external appearance of Renault Duster, there are some comments which follow a trend line. Some of these problems are shown below. The Fascia of Duster has been regarded as very subtle with square head lamps and horizontal grill lines. Also the build quality of crash guards is inferior. Fog lamp shape and location provides a very blunt fascia look. The shape of front grilles, Head lamp, Fog lamp and Crash guards can be changed for a more aggressive and sporty look.
Figure 2.2, Renault Duster Fascia The blister on the tail lamps also does not fuse with the frontal looks and the overall visual appeal of the vehicle. Providing a shape tail lamp shape that matches the head lamp or compliments the head lamp can be done.
Figure 2.3, Renault Duster Rear view

The door knob also is very basic design. The door color is also not in sync with the body color.
Figure 2.4, Door knob The sill panel is only aesthetic accessory which cannot be used as a foot rest. This can be problematic for elder passengers to climb the vehicle. A steeping platform can be provided.
Figure 2.5, Sill Panel
Interior: The car owners in India normally do not complain about the interiors if there are some minor inconveniences. But legroom and other space oriented issues are criticized. Since most of the customers personally interviewed did not observe any major flaw internet research had yielded some interior problems.
The OVRM adjustment knob is below the handbrake which is inconvenient. Placing it on the dash board is better
Figure 2.6, OVRM knob [5] The rear aircon vent shape looks very absurd and not in fusion with the interior design. Reducing the height of the air con tower or placing it on the roof panel will provide more legroom for the rear passengers and better aesthetics.
Figure 2.7, Rear Aircon tower [5] The Renault duster has only 5 seats and ample boot space. Inclusion of folding seats in the rear can be useful if there is less luggage and more passengers.
Figure 2.8, Boot space [5] The Ac control knob location is very low in the dash board and difficult for the driver to access while driving. The position of the AC knobs can be made below the ducts itself.
Figure 2.9, AC Knob location [5] Placing the radio and media control options behind the steering wheel is inconvenient. It is better to keep it on the steering wheel itself.
Figure 2.10, Radio and Media Control Module [5]
2.4 Redesign: The concepts for Duster facelift for the 2014 are based on the reviews provided from customers and auto reviewers. Visual Theme Boards and Metaphors are used to generate concept sketches. By simply glimpsing at these boards a pattern can be emerged at and can be implemented into the design. The factors that have considered providing aggressive front fascia to the vehicle are change in the headlamp shape, front grilles and bumper profile. The side profile is also changed to provide a continuous feature line connecting the front of the vehicle to the rear. In the concept generation stage various options are explored and presented using sketches as shown in figure 2.11. The best looking 3 options are selected for scrutiny by using weighted ranking method the best option is selected.
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Figure 2.11, Visual Theme Board
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Figure 2.12, Concept Generation
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Concept 1: This concept is derived from fish Metaphor. The perspective drawing of the concept is shown in the figure 2.12
Figure 2.13, Concept 1 with Metaphor
Concept 2: This concept is derived with the metaphor of brown bear. The head lamp profile matches the eyes of a bear and the grilles match the open mouth of a bear. The fog lamps are shaped like the paws if a brown bear.
Figure 2.14, Concept 2 with Metaphor
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Concept 3: This concept is inspired from Alien technology. The front fascia is provided with aggressive head lamp profile and multiple grilles to attain some complexity in the design.
Figure 2.15, Concept 3 with Metaphor Out of the 3 concept designs the best design is selected with the help of weighted ranking method. Weighted Ranking: From Table 2.1 it can be observed that the Concept 3 has better ranks compared to other concepts. So Concept 3 is selected as final Concept. Table 2.1: Weighted ranking method Features Simplicity Cost Effectiveness Aesthetics Style Statement Concept 1 3 2 4 4 13 Concept 2 3 2 3 3 11 Concept 3 2 3 4 5 14
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Manual Rendering: The final concept is manually rendered in Autodesk Sketchbook Designer as shown in figure2.15.
Figure 2.16, Manual Rendering
2.4 Conclusion: Concepts have been generated with the help of visual themes and also from customer reviews. Still it was essential to maintain the DNA of the car as it is the prime attraction of the vehicle and shouldnt be changed. Since the model is designed for 2014 minimal cosmetic changes is made. The final concept is selected based on aesthetics and practicality.
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PART-C CHAPTER 3 ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Final Concept 3.1 Introduction: Form the aid of 2d drawings shown in figure3.1 developed from the concept the 3d model of the concept is built in Alias software.
Figure 3.1, 2d views. 3.2 Alias Modeling: Alias tool is used to develop 3d model of the Duster concept the final developed model is shown in Figure 3.2. The Curves used for modeling is shown in Figure 3.3. Zebra stripes are used to analyze the surface continuity and tangency.
Figure3.2, Surface Model in Alias Interface
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Figure 3.3, Curves for Modeling
Figure 3.4, Surace Analysis
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3.3 Rendering: The 3d model developed in the Alias software is rendered in KeyShot4.0 Pro. Appropriate colors are chosen to provide different moods of the design.
Figure 3.5, Rendering
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Figure3.9, Rendering
3.4 In Context Rendering: Rural road Is selected in context because it is a compact SUV and is capable of travelling in different road conditions. The rendered Image is sown in Figure 3.10
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Figure 3.10, In Context Rendering
3.5 Conclusion: Free form surafacing tool is used to develop the 3d model of the Vehicle concept. The surface is analysed constantly to maintain tangency and avoid dents. The 3d model is then transferred to a rendering platform for digital rendering. From the rendered images it can be noticed that the front fascia looks very aggressive and also the cosmetic changes can be implimented in Duster 2014 model.
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3.6 Module Learning Outcomes The module was very helpful in understanding the exterior design method and how the variables affect the final design. Different parts of the exterior and various aesthetic elements which are also functional elements are well absorbed. The various car body designs evolved in time have been analysed.Sketching and rendering techniques have been improved by generating concepts and also the method obtaining a concept within the confinement of its basic DNA structure is understood. Also Clay modeling skills have been improved greatly. How inspiration can be taken from nature and used as metaphor in design is developed. The assignment was a good evaluation of the skill obtained from the module and also proficiency in using Autodesk Alias is improved because of the assignment.
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References ________________________________________________________________ [1]Image-http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/132044-january-2013-indian-carsales-figures-analysis.html [2]Image-http://static.zigwheels.com/media/content/2013/Jan/hyundai-i10-and-i20-black-packeditions_560x420.jpg [3]Image- http://auto.indiamart.com/gifs/chevrolet-srv.jpg [4] Image-http://www.autocarindia.com/Review/305530,renault-duster-review-test-drive-andvideo.aspx [5] Image-http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/123824-renault-dusterofficial-review.html
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Automotive Exterior Design

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MSRSAS - Postgraduate Engineering and Management Programme - PEMP

Name of the Student Reg. No Batch Module Leader

Abhishek Karunakar BYB0912015 Full-Time 2012. Divya Darshan C.S

M.S.Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies

Postgraduate Engineering and Management Programmes(PEMP)

POSTGRADUATE ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (PEMP)

MSRSAS - Postgraduate Engineering and Management Programme - PEMP

Signature of the student Submission date stamp

Signature of the Module Leader and date

Signature of Head of the Department and date