Shuanghuan Noble
Encyclopedia
The Shuanghuan Noble is a 4-seater Chinese
hatchback
made by Shuanghuan
. It is sold in various Europe
an and Asia
n countries and has generated large controversies due to its similar styling to that of the Smart Fortwo
.
platform. It carries the same MacPherson strut independent front suspension and a dead axle rear suspension with a Panhard stabilizing rod. The body is constructed using high tensile and ultra high tensile steel, a choice that makes the car somewhat heavy for its size at 875 kg.
, ABS
braking system with EBD, audio system with radio and USB slot with MP3
playback capability, electric power steering
, power windows and air conditioning
.
in some US states, built by Ruff & Tuff Electric Vehicles from body shells shipped to the USA from China. The Wheego Whip
as it is named in the US is able to reach speeds up to 70 miles per hour (31 m/s) but will be initially sold as a low-speed vehicle with a maximum speed of (25 miles per hour (11 m/s) until it passes crash tests by the US DoT.
, doing business as Shuanghuan Auto USA..
even filing a lawsuit against Shuanghuan
because of the similarities with the Smart Fortwo
. Mercedes-Benz also persuaded the Italian
court to prohibit the car from being exhibited at the Bologna Motor Show
, but this was violated and the car was put on display.
In May 2009 a Greek
judge ruled against Daimler and cleared the car allowing sales to begin in Greece. The judge answering to Daimler's demand to ban the Chinese vehicle from entering the Greek market said that “The impression the Noble makes on a third and informed party by its visual appearance is different to the one that is made to the same person by the Smart... It is commonly accepted that the decision over buying a new car cannot be based only on the exterior characteristics but many other technical specifications such as the power of the engine, fuel consumption, trim specification, retail price and dealers’ network.”
The ruling states that the latter party’s doings “cannot possibly misguide the public” as the German
company claimed in its legal request. The judge noted the salient fact that “the plaintiff is no longer selling the specific generation of the Smart which claims to have been copied, but a different vehicle, with much different characteristics.”
The judge also accepted in whole the defendant’s argument that cars of the same segment cannot avoid a certain level of resemblance due to technical restrictions, similar purposes and goals, especially when it comes to such small cars that present a challenge to design.
The ruling concludes that “there is no competition between the two companies.”
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
made by Shuanghuan
Shijiazhuang Shuanghuan Automobile Co
Shuanghuan is a Chinese automobile manufacturer established in April 1988. In 2002 ShuangHuan has bought the state owned automobile manufacturer Red Star.-Models:...
. It is sold in various Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n countries and has generated large controversies due to its similar styling to that of the Smart Fortwo
Smart Fortwo
The Smart Fortwo is a rear-engined two-seater city car manufactured by Smart GmbH, introduced at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as the Smart City Coupé, and currently in its second generation...
.
Body
The Noble uses a unibody frame based on a shortened Suzuki AltoSuzuki Alto
The Suzuki Alto is a small car designed by Suzuki. Its selling points include low price and good fuel economy. The model was introduced in 1979 and has been built in many countries worldwide.-1st generation :...
platform. It carries the same MacPherson strut independent front suspension and a dead axle rear suspension with a Panhard stabilizing rod. The body is constructed using high tensile and ultra high tensile steel, a choice that makes the car somewhat heavy for its size at 875 kg.
Seating
Contrary to any other vehicle of its size, the Noble has a seating capacity of four passengers. The rear seats provide enough room for two adults with plenty of space for their knees, although the low roof-line restricts headroom significantly. The rear seats can fold down to reveal a flat loading space, which otherwise is negligible. A full size spare wheel is housed under the rear seats.Trim
Standard trim includes dual front airbagAirbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...
, ABS
ABS
- Anatomy :* Abdominal muscles , which is the rectus abdominis or the stomach muscles-Music and media:Music ensembles* A.B.'s, a Japanese 80's instrumental band* Abingdon Boys School, a Japanese rock band...
braking system with EBD, audio system with radio and USB slot with MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
playback capability, electric power steering
Power steering
Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
, power windows and air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
.
Engine & Transmission
The Noble is a front wheel drive car with the engine housed under the front bonnet. The engine itself is a 1.1 liter 16v DOHC version of the Suzuki Wagon-R engine with a power output rated at 68 PS at 6.000 rpm and 88 newton metre of torque at 4500 rpm. With the 5-speed manual transmission the Noble sprints from 0-100km/h in 17.1s and reaches a top speed of 138km/h. The engine is reported to be quite frugal using only 4.5 L/100km. A five speed manual gearbox is offered in both standard and automated versions.Electric version
The Noble is being sold as an electric carElectric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
in some US states, built by Ruff & Tuff Electric Vehicles from body shells shipped to the USA from China. The Wheego Whip
Wheego Whip
The Wheego Whip is an all-electric city car originally developed as the electric version of the Chinese Noble by Shuanghuan Automobile and RTEV . The production version, called Wheego Whip LiFe, was presented at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show and is sold in the United States at a price of before...
as it is named in the US is able to reach speeds up to 70 miles per hour (31 m/s) but will be initially sold as a low-speed vehicle with a maximum speed of (25 miles per hour (11 m/s) until it passes crash tests by the US DoT.
US Sales
The Noble in currently being sold in by a dealership in Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, doing business as Shuanghuan Auto USA..
Controversies
The car has caused numerous controversies, with Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
even filing a lawsuit against Shuanghuan
Shijiazhuang Shuanghuan Automobile Co
Shuanghuan is a Chinese automobile manufacturer established in April 1988. In 2002 ShuangHuan has bought the state owned automobile manufacturer Red Star.-Models:...
because of the similarities with the Smart Fortwo
Smart Fortwo
The Smart Fortwo is a rear-engined two-seater city car manufactured by Smart GmbH, introduced at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as the Smart City Coupé, and currently in its second generation...
. Mercedes-Benz also persuaded the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
court to prohibit the car from being exhibited at the Bologna Motor Show
Bologna Motor Show
The Bologna Motor Show is an auto show held in Bologna, Italy, in December. It is recognized as an international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles.- 2011 :...
, but this was violated and the car was put on display.
In May 2009 a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
judge ruled against Daimler and cleared the car allowing sales to begin in Greece. The judge answering to Daimler's demand to ban the Chinese vehicle from entering the Greek market said that “The impression the Noble makes on a third and informed party by its visual appearance is different to the one that is made to the same person by the Smart... It is commonly accepted that the decision over buying a new car cannot be based only on the exterior characteristics but many other technical specifications such as the power of the engine, fuel consumption, trim specification, retail price and dealers’ network.”
The ruling states that the latter party’s doings “cannot possibly misguide the public” as the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
company claimed in its legal request. The judge noted the salient fact that “the plaintiff is no longer selling the specific generation of the Smart which claims to have been copied, but a different vehicle, with much different characteristics.”
The judge also accepted in whole the defendant’s argument that cars of the same segment cannot avoid a certain level of resemblance due to technical restrictions, similar purposes and goals, especially when it comes to such small cars that present a challenge to design.
The ruling concludes that “there is no competition between the two companies.”