News Article
GKN DRIVELINE’S UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY - From Tata Nano to Jaguar XFR
New Delhi, India, 5th January 2010
GKN demonstrates its broad capability on vehicle driveline solutions from the sideshafts on the ultra low cost Tata Nano through to the sideshafts, propshafts and electronic limited slip differential on Jaguar Land Rover’s premium sports saloon, the Jaguar XFR.
Tata Nano
GKN Driveline has worked in partnership with Tata to focus development on unique sideshafts
for the emerging sub-mini, low cost Nano platform.
The One Lakh (€2,000 or $2,400) Tata Nano is to provide affordable all-weather mobility for millions of Indians. Tata asked suppliers to look at all possible means of minimising cost while equipping a twenty first century car for the people.
GKN Driveline engineers drew on their global resources to find the right sideshaft solution for the rear-engined Tata Nano. GKN Driveline’s advanced engineering centre in France had the answer - a floating shaft design with tripod constant velocity joints to deliver the 35 bhp to the Nano’s rear wheels. The tripod solution with its innovative design meant the cost challenge could be met. The sideshaft has common inner and outer tripod joints, further reducing complexity.
Jaguar XFR
GKN Driveline has long been a major supplier to Jaguar Land Rover and the company’s new
high-performance XFR sports saloon features the company’s electronic limited slip differential, or
electronic torque manager (ETM), that provides the much praised, 503 BHP with unsurpassed traction
and stability.
Key to improving the XFR’s driving dynamics without driver intervention, the ETM continuously adapts to both the driver’s demands and the amount of grip available at each individual wheel. The ETM performs this dynamic enhancement with a smooth and mechanically pre-emptive immediate engagement, ensuring exceptional handling poise.
GKN Driveline also supplies the propshafts that transfer power from the engine to the rear axle and the sideshafts that transfer power to the wheels.
Rob Rickell, global engineering director of GKN Driveline: “These two very different cars
demonstrate the broad diversity of our products and technology. The Nano was a unique and complex
challenge because of the technology and the Jaguar’s electronic torque manager, proven in premium
SUVs where it delivers greatly enhanced traction both on and off road, has for the first time been
used in a high-performance application with the Jaguar XFR.”
Tata Nano Jaguar XFR
Tata Nano - Tripod Plunging Joint Jaguar XFR - ETM 2
The Tata Nano’s innovative sideshaft is being manufactured at GKN Driveline’s factory at Dharuhera near Delhi and supplied to Tata’s plant at Uttranchal.
About GKN Driveline
GKN Driveline is the world’s leading supplier of automotive driveline components and systems. As a global company serving the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers, GKN Driveline develops, builds and supplies an extensive range of automotive driveline components for use in the smallest ultra low-cost car to the most sophisticated premium vehicle demanding the most complex driving dynamics.
GKN Driveline is a leading global producer of sideshafts, propshafts, mechanically and electronically controlled torque management systems and associated geared components.
About the GKN Group
GKN plc is a global engineering business serving mainly the automotive, industrial, off-highway and aerospace markets. It has operations in more than 30 countries, at 31st December 2008 it had nearly 40,000 employees in subsidiaries and joint ventures and had sales of £4.4 billion in the year ended 31 December 2008. GKN plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GKN).
www.gkn.com
Company Contact:
Paul Dinwiddy
Global Communication Director
GKN Driveline
Tel: + 44 1527 533 646
Mob: + 44 7801 077 523
Email: paul.dinwiddy@gkndriveline.com
Media Contacts:
India
Vidheesh
Tel: +91 11 2651 1423
Mileage Public Relations
E-mail: vidheesh@mileage.in
Europe
Simon Pearson
Tel: +44 207 861 3158
Mob: +44 7836 744 192
Email: simon@s-pearson.com
Americas
Larry Weis
AutoCom Associates
Tel: +1 248 647 8621
Email: lweis@usautocom.com
