5 Car Terms That Could Make You a Car Enthusiast

Are you newly joining the car scene? Then you are sure to feel quite intimidated striking a conversation with friends as they bombarded you with unfamiliar terms and expressions. But fear not, here are 5 car terms that you can use to sound cool in front of your friends.
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Car Terms: Turbo

We have all seen Turbo, TSI, T-GDI and TFSI on cars. But do you know what it indicates? Well, all these badges imply that the car is equipped with a turbocharger.

Turbocharging is an efficient way of increasing the power output of an engine affecting the economy and capacity of the engine. While this technology was popular on luxury car models like the Audi, BMW and Mercedes since the early 2010s, the turbocharger has found its way into more budget cars lately. Cars like the Nissan Magnite, Hyundai i20 and Tata Altroz can cross the 100 bhp mark, thanks to this technology.

Read More: 7 Luxury Features Offered Only In Tata Cars

4X4

Next up, what do 4X4, AWD, 4WD and RWD badges suggest? Found mostly on SUVs, a 4X4 badge suggests that the car is equipped with a four-wheel-drive system which allows the car to send power to all four wheels to get out of sticky situation. Popular cars with 4X4 systems are the Mahindra Thar, Mahindra Scorpio N and Toyota Fortuner among others.

Compared to 4X4 systems, AWD systems are compact and economical. While not as capable, AWD systems are perfect for light off-roading and rough road use. Other common types of drivetrains include FWD (front-wheel-drive) which is found on most budget cars in India and RWD (rear-wheel-drive) found on some budget cars and most luxury car models.

Car Terms: ADAS

The third automotive term is ADAS, short for ‘Autonomous Driver Assistance Systems’. This 21st-century innovation is set to revolutionise safe driving in the country, Equipped with radar and various cameras, this system detects obstacles on the road and adjusts the driving according. Higher-level ADAS systems, those found on Tesla can drive themselves without any input from the driver.

While this system still needs to be adapted to Indian roads and driving conditions, there is no denying the fact this system can surely ease driver stress and fatigue.

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Car Terms: DCT

The penultimate car term on this list are acronyms like DSG, DCT and AMT. Usually found in most car brochures, these suggest the type of transmission offered on the model. Most budget models are offered with an AMT (Automated Manual transmission), which is the most basic and economical automatic gearbox. This system replaces the clutch with sensors and actuators.

Moving further up the budget range, we find the torque convertor automatic, which is the most popular automatic gearbox option. These systems are simple, reliable and cost-effective compared to more complex systems. Old BMWs and Mercedes cars also used this system.

The last of the lot is DCT (dual-clutch automatic transmission), which as the name suggests uses two clutches. Usually found on expensive cars, this system has been scaled to be used in budget models. Key benefits of this system are smooth gear shifts, spirited performance and improved efficiency. While the system is fairly new it is plagued with reliability issues in the long run.

Regenerative Braking

The last term on the list is ‘Regenerative Braking’. Found only on electric vehicles, this feature works by reversing the electric motor as a generator to put back energy into the battery. Additionally, the reversing of the motor also helps reduce the speed of the vehicle without the use of brakes. All budget and luxury electric vehicle models offer this vehicle which helps reduce brake and tyre wear to a large extent.

So next time you strike up a conversation with your friends, make sure to bring up these topics.

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