Dodge 700 minitruck

[freebeard]

I've been watching CB Media on Youtube. The big feature car in Thailand's Best Car Meet is this Isuzu.


https://www.carscoops.com/wp-content...suzu-D-Max.jpg

Four-into-one turbos with tractor flaps.

[Piotrsko]

Not only is that ugly, it seems pointless. Oh well somebody had to do it.

All that bling and the front tires are bald. Hypermiler?

[Stubby79]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

All that bling and the front tires are bald. Hypermiler?

As close as you can get to street legal slicks.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Not only is that ugly, it seems pointless. Oh well somebody had to do it.

And that's the newest generation of the Isuzu D-Max. Well, it's quite interesting to say the least, even though I prefer something that could be kept entirely inside the engine bay. On a sidenote, I would be quite concerned about road debris getting through the compressor in one of those 4 turbochargers.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

This doesn't seem to be so much of a problem. Remember the Fiat 500 was not meant to the USDM, yet it got federalized once it started to be made in Mexico?

I suspect US sales were planned from the beginning.

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

The slightly larger Fiat Toro, also branded Ram 1000 in some export markets, is based on the same platform of the Jeep Renegade and Compass which comply to American standards.

That is a stronger possibility - if the Hyundai and Ford sell well.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by JSH

I suspect US sales were planned from the beginning.




That is a stronger possibility - if the Hyundai and Ford sell well.

Federalization was not planned from the beginning and Fiat used it as a mid cycle refresh to roll common structural improvements for both Euro and US versions to reduce costs and improve the crash rating in the US testing.

It actually was a big deal at the time and covered by the automotive media that Fiat was modifying/improving a Euro chassis for sale in both markets with minimal differences between the 2.

There are 14 key differences between World Fiats and US one, all are irrelevant like the bumper and lights and merely are a hassle to dot regional government requirements, safety is lateral comparing the World vrs US version considering one is safer to pedestrians while the other focuses on a higher belt mark hit.
The underlying platform is the same in an attempt to satisfy both regions unique highway and city requirements

[JSH]

Another key difference is that Euro regulations do crash testing with belted passengers while US regulations require automakers to restrain unbelted passengers. This leads to different interiors with different structures.

When I was a product engineer for the Mercedes M-Class interior the Euro dashboards had soft padding on the bottom of the dash to protect a driver's shins when the legs went flying forward in a crash. The US version had an aluminum accordion structure in the bottom of the dash. When an unbelted driver went flying forward the knee would hit that accordion structure and help keep the driver vertical long enough for the airbags to deploy. Without the structure the driver could start to slide under the steering wheel and then the airbag would deploy and punch them in the face. In 2008 (I think) that aluminum according structure was replaced with a knee airbag that would deploy before the steering wheel airbag.

The Euro version is actually safer for a driver wearing a seatbelt. Some IIHS data shows that knee airbags can actually increase leg injuries in belted drivers.

(We had 6 different versions of the dashboard to meet the different worldwide standards)

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

Another key difference is that Euro regulations do crash testing with belted passengers while US regulations require automakers to restrain unbelted passengers.

Reminds me of those automatic seatbelts featured on most of the American imports (and some US-spec Jap stuff) from the '90s before airbags became more widespread.

The Euro version is actually safer for a driver wearing a seatbelt.

In the end, wearing the seatbelt is important on both the Euro-spec and the US-spec, even though some stubborn rednecks believe airbags are an actual replacement for seatbelts.

Some IIHS data shows that knee airbags can actually increase leg injuries in belted drivers.

My knees are not that great at all, but I am used to wear a seatbelt (its use is mandatory in my country since '99 for the driver and passengers in any vehicle fitted with it, and now even classic cars and some older long-distance coaches have been retrofitted with seatbelts) and wouldn't relax not wearing it even if there was a claim for a lower risk of leg injuries.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

In the end, wearing the seatbelt is important on both the Euro-spec and the US-spec, even though some stubborn rednecks believe airbags are an actual replacement for seatbelts.

I'm not advocating that people don't wear a seat belt. I was pointing out that the Federal mandate to do crash testing without a seat belt makes US cars less safe for the vast majority of people that wear a seat belt. The designs required to restrain unbelted drivers cause injuries to belted drivers.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JSH

I'm not advocating that people don't wear a seat belt.

Neither was I expecting you to do so

I was pointing out that the Federal mandate to do crash testing without a seat belt makes US cars less safe for the vast majority of people that wear a seat belt.

This sounds quite stupid to be honest. No wonder automakers had to resort to those automatic seat belts in the '90s, too bad they were only fitted to the front seats even on 4-door cars which could also have them on the rear seat.

The designs required to restrain unbelted drivers cause injuries to belted drivers.

How effective these designs are in preventing the same injuries to unbelted drivers? Or is it only effective to prevent worse (and maybe life-threatening) injuries to unbelted drivers?