Visteon is supplying an audio system and plastic air intake manifold to the Tata Nano which it says demonstrate expertise in designing components for small and low-cost vehicles.

Visteon supplies the audio system that can be outfitted by the dealer, as well as a lightweight air intake manifold designed to offer quiet performance for the 2-cylinder Nano.

Mr. Debasis Ray, a spokesperson for Tata Motors, said: "Visteon has been working very closely with us to make the Nano a reality. We appreciated Visteon's innovative engineering and manufacturing expertise to provide us with leading-edge solutions without compromising quality."

The Nano's audio system is based on Visteon's "Tiger" radio platform and was developed jointly by the Visteon Technical Service Center in Chennai, India, and the Visteon China Technical Center in Shanghai, China.

Visteon says its platform approach helped reduce development time while 'providing flexibility that allows audio features to be scaled to different applications'.

The audio system features a customized bezel with a highly integrated human machine interface (HMI) and an innovative mounting system to meet the vehicle's requirements.

The accessory audio system provides a range of in-car audio entertainment solutions and comes with customised speakers and a radio antenna. Four variants of the audio system are available to meet different needs of Nano owners - from AM/FM radio with auxiliary input to a more sophisticated system including CD player, USB port and Bluetooth wireless technology capability.

The system's auxiliary and USB ports allow the user to connect a USB flash drive or MP3 player for use in the vehicle.

Visteon partnered with Nippon Audiotronix, a company in the Indian automotive audio market, for marketing, sales, distribution and service support of the Tata-branded audio system throughout India. The audio system is currently available to order at Tata Motors dealerships across India.

Visteon also supplies the Nano's engine air intake manifold, designed to evenly distribute the fuel-air combustion mixture to each intake port in the cylinder head. The air intake manifold, which is made from a plastic material, was engineered by TACO Visteon Engineering (TVEC) and is manufactured by Tata Visteon Automotive (TVAP), both joint ventures between Visteon and Tata AutoComp Systems Limited.

Using plastic instead of traditional aluminium in the air intake manifold generates a 35 percent weight reduction, Visteon says.

Comparatively, Visteon maintains, the product yields superior performance by ensuring consistent air delivery to the engine. The acoustic performance is also improved with lower inlet orifice noise, vehicle interior noise and vehicle 'drive-by' noise levels.

"We are proud to support Tata's breakthrough initiative to offer the most affordable vehicle in the world," said Steve Meszaros, president of Visteon's electronics and interiors groups. "In supporting the Nano, we applied our expertise in supplying the low-cost and small car segments while leveraging our extensive global footprint to exceed our customer's expectation."