Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/410228
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2014 17 Events PEUGEOT Quartz concept: an exceptional crossover that is a thrill to drive PEUGEOT has been building on its lead in the crossover market since 2009. With the Quartz concept, it has unveiled a new vision for the segment, blending the heightened expression of a next-generation SUV with the punch of its more high-per- formance models. There is an original athletic air about both the exterior and the cab- in, both of which boast an outstand- ing design and innovative materials, featuring basalt, digitally woven fab- ric and chiné leather. The Quartz i-Cockpit is fully fo- cused on driver needs while helping to harness the potential of the PEU- GEOT Sport-developed 500 hp drive train and intelligent running gear. An ultra-athletic crossover The strong, powerful, sporty style of the PEUGEOT Quartz is clear from the outset. Its shapely design combines the body of an SUV with the cabin of a sedan. Its road-holding capability is im- mediately evident in the front end, which spans 2.06 metres in width, sitting on broad, 305 mm tyres. The lighting system features LED units for improved efficiency. The lens- free headlamps are enhanced by a light guide that emerges from the side of the body to divide the airflow. The lion logo stands in the centre of the grille, brought to life by a checked pattern that shifts depending on the angle of view. In profile, the sleek lines ably con- vey the dynamic feel of the concept. The 23-inch alloys and Continental tyres sit inside generously rounded wheel arches. The overhangs are ex- tremely short to ensure that as much as possible of the 4.50m body length is used for the vehicle's occupants. The engine is none- theless given pride of place under a long bonnet enhanced by louvres that improve air intake. The elec- tronically retractable step adds to a flank in- spired by styles found in the textile industry, with fitted pleats fas- tening the material taut to the structure while lending volume to the wheel arches. The upper section of the cabin gives the impression of a single block in which the various func- tions have been carved. The metallic arches encase and attach the poly- carbonate windows to the body, en- hanced by a sculpted body form that captures the light. They also add to the vehicle's silhouette by lending a mineral look to the overall finish. As it flows towards the rear wings, the glass roof moulds into two spoil- ers that further enhance the aero- dynamic design. These are aligned with the separator between the two Quartz finishes: mineral grey at the front—inspired by rock crystal—and matt black for the rear wings, offset by occasional splashes of red. The cabin showcases innovative, efficient materials A new manufacturing process was used to remove the need for a central pillar and create scissor doors to en- able easy access. The Quartz is based on an EMP2 platform with a com- posite structure and bonded panels. In addition to weight savings, this solution offers excellent stiffness, which makes it possible to remove the structural support provided by the central pillar. A retractable step adds to the com- fort of all four passengers. Inside, a range of unexpected materials from both natural and recycled sources contribute to the sensory experience and create an impressive visual and tactile effect. The Quartz is the first-ever vehi- cle to feature digitally woven textile. This innovative process can create large and complex parts that can be used as soon as they come off the ma- chine. No cutting is required, mean- ing there is no waste. The textile is woven with polyester fibre obtained by recycling the kind of plastic used to make water bottles. The process can also produce parts of significant thickness, making them softer and reducing the need for the foam nor- mally used. Leather is of course present, in keep- ing with the greatest automotive tra- ditions. To create a sportier feel, the floor pan, sides and roof are trimmed in black leather, with contact points such as seat cushions and backs trimmed in tawny leather. This fawn-coloured trim is sourced from old fur- niture and clothing. A driver-dedicated i-Cockpit Inside, each of the four passengers has a bucket seat providing optimal interior space. The seat structure is left exposed and fea- tures a four-point re- tractable harness, with floating cushions and backrests trimmed in tawny leather to ensure excellent comfort. The driver's seat has a solid wrapa- round fit to match the car's high-end performance, with the PEUGEOT i-Cockpit keeping everything at the driver's fingertips. The compact steering wheel with embedded con- trols is borrowed from competition models and offers the utmost effi- ciency, allowing the driver to use the indicators, change driving mode and shift gears with ease. The head-up display provides a large, configurable screen with a central 45-degree poly- carbonate strip to show additional information and create added depth. The instrument panel is found on both sides of the small steering wheel and head-up display and is angled to- ward the driver to ensure easy access to the toggle switches. On activating one of these controls, the driver sees the information travel along the rel- evant optical fibre. A high-performance drive train The Quartz concept's sculpted styling requires an outstanding en- gine. Developing a total of 500 hp, the full-hybrid plug-in drive train comprises a combustion engine and two electric motors. The evocatively embossed bonnet houses the 1.6L THP 270 power plant developed by PEUGEOT Sport. Mated to a six- speed automatic transmission, the four-cylinder engine delivers torque of 330 Nm, with a specific output of nearly 170 hp per litre, making it one of the world's top performers. The front axle is also driven by an 85 kW electric motor with direct drive. This charges the 400 V bat- tery during deceleration phases and assists the combustion engine with gear changes. The rear axle also fea- tures an 85 kW electric motor for propulsion and battery charging. A specific ESP handles braking distri- bution between the four wheels to ensure both vehicle stability and op- timise battery charging. There are three driving modes: ZEV can cover up to 50 km on a sin- gle battery charge using the plug-in battery; in Road mode, the combus- tion engine and front electric mo- tor work together to enhance driv- ing pleasure and maximise battery charging during deceleration; Race mode harnesses the power of the en- gine and both electric motors to get the most out of the chassis and run- ning gear equipped with limited-slip differentials. This makes it possible to divide torque between the wheels based on the individual grip of each. The Quartz concept delivers an outstanding drive. Performance, re- sponsiveness and intuitiveness en- sure unparalleled enjoyment behind the wheel. The Quartz showcases a novel PEUGEOT approach to high- end sports models. Sunday teatime is music time at RIDT's concert series MUSIC meets art in a new Sunday teatime concert series, The Oratory – Music and Art, as Research Trust of the University of Malta (RIDT) ramps up efforts to enhance community par- ticipation in research contributions. Taking place in the unique baroque ambience of the Oratory of the Jesuits Church every other Sunday at 4.30pm and featuring mainly classical, ba- roque and chamber music, the first concert in the series takes place on 16 November. Proceeds from the concerts are aimed at raising funds for various re- search activities at the University, via RIDT. The entrance for the concerts will be against a recommended dona- tion of €10. The opening performance on 16 November features the Malta Phil- harmonic Orchestra's String Quartet who will be performing Clepsydra of Christopher Muscat and String Quartet no. 4 op18 of Ludwig van Beethoven. The MPO String Quartet is made up of Marcelline Agius and Klara Nazaj on the violin, Nadia Debono on viola and Akos Kertesz on cello. IN a sign of growing importance of transport and logistics sectors in Malta, a large number of industry as- sociates and specialists attended the 1st Transport Manager & Practition- ers Forum 2014, when a broad range of today's challenges came under discussion for tomorrow's solutions. Supported by HSBC Bank Malta and held on the sidelines of the in- augural TransLog Awards 2014, the Forum got underway with a welcome speech by organiser Alex Borg, di- rector of SSM Group, who reiterated the need for the industry to partici- pate in platforms such as the Trans- port Manager & Practitioners Forum to foster exchange of knowledge and best practices for the benefit of the industry in Malta. Owing to a tremendous industry response, the organisers of the 1st Transport Manager & Practition- ers Forum 2014 have committed to make it an annual event. "The quality of discourse, both from local and international experts, was of a high technical standard and bodes well for future gatherings," said Mr Borg. HSBC Bank Malta Head of Global Banking & Markets, James Woode- son, addressed the audience and sig- nalled out the bank's commitment to the sectors. "At HSBC, we want to be where the growth is. This is why HSBC is delighted to be sponsoring the TransLog Forum and Awards. We believe that logistics, warehousing and distribution can provide lots of opportunities for Maltese businesses and could become a main pillar of the Maltese economy," said James Woodeson. Transport Malta chairman & CEO James Piscopo said: "My thumbs up to the organisers for having the in- sight to recognise an industry gap that existed and for their initiative to fill it with this interesting Forum. Over the past months, Transport Malta has been working on a holis- tic, multi modal national transport strategy. Our team of internal ex- perts, together with our consultants Jaspers and other European partners, are analysing all modes of transport with a view to identifying not only the challenges of today and tomor- row but also suggesting a wide array of action-oriented policies aimed at driving us forward and ahead." In his presentation on the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID), David Seisun of Sixteen Ltd explained the benefits of RFID to the industry. "The future of logis- tics is in the better use of data and information systems. Most Maltese logistics companies still rely on pen and paper to collect data from the field, yet newer and more so- phisticated technologies like RFID have long demonstrated the ability to make operations efficient," said David Seisun. Thérèse Bajada from the Institute for Climate Change and Sustain- able Development, University of Malta presented the institute's on- going research. The presentation, entitled 'Infrastructure and GIS' il- lustrated the basic principles of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and its use in the transport indus- try. Work on traffic flow modelling, planning for the University's Green Travel Plan and modelling pollution impact related to traffic were some of the research studies presented at the Forum. International consultant Keith Mortimer of ITS UK discussed the benefits of 'Intelligent Transport Systems' and how Malta can ben- efit from the application of IT and communications technologies to as- sist the safe and efficient traffic and transport operations. "The price to taxpayers of deal- ing with incidents, road deaths and injuries, toxic emissions, noise and greenhouse gases, and delays from congestion every year was signifi- cant. Instead of wasting resources, targeted investment in technology- based programmes could help to reduce personal and public costs while channelling needed funds into projects to improve driver services and enhance quality of life for citi- zens," said Keith Mortimer. The importance of the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) docu- ment for safer land transport system was highlighted by Audrey Testafer- rata de Noto, Director Traffic Man- agement and Road Safety Depart- ment at Transport Malta. "The NRSS sets out a 10 year direc- tion for a safer land transport system and focuses on the main areas where there is evidence that a sustained and coordinated effort leads to con- siderable gains and where measures may be implemented, which give long-term improvement with the aim of achieving a 50% reduction in fatalities, 30% reduction in grievous injuries and 20% reduction in slight injuries by the year 2020," noted Testaferrata de Noto. Alex Borg welcoming the audience at the 1st Transport Managers and Practitioners Forum Transport and logistics forum to be an annual event after successful first edition