Jaguar put the new InControl Touch Pro system on its latest
XJ model to the test in Mumbai by taking on the traditional acclaimed
Dabbawalla delivery system in a race through the congested city streets.
Dabbawallas are used by many Mumbai workers to take home
cooked food to their places of work in small ‘tiffins’ or ‘dabbas’. They
operate on a complex relay system involving trains, buses, bikes and foot.
But one lucky Dabbawalla was given the chance to ride in
luxury when the new Jaguar cars XJ picked him up, swapping a hard bike saddle for
leather massage seats and the new InControl Touch Pro infotainment system in
place of the noise of busy streets. The driver used the new navigation system
to help steer through traffic as his rival Dabbawalla took the traditional
route.
The Dabbawalla said: “It was a very different experience to
the one I am used to! The only massage I normally get is from the bumps in the
road! Those seats were amazing. And I never knew Mumbai could be so quiet – it
was like a different world inside the car.
“It was a serious race too. We have a very well developed
system here; one that many say is impossible to beat. But somehow the XJ won!
The navigation system was a big help, but we were also lucky because the other
Dabbawalla got stuck with a rare train delay.”
Founded in 1890, the Dabbawalla system, once subject to a Harvard Business School
study, is a business miracle. Low cost, highly efficient and environmentally
friendly, there is no use of any IT system or even cell phones, yet mistakes
are extremely rare. Logistics expert Federal Express even sent its employees
over to learn from the system.
Aside from a unique weight-bearing jacket, which helps carry
multiple loads using supports from lightweight but sturdy aluminium (the metal
used for the body of the new XJ), new technology has done nothing to better the
system. Now, approximately 5,000 Dabbawallas move more than 130,000 lunches per
day, six days a week, 52 weeks a year.
Ever-present heavy traffic makes moving through the city
streets a challenge, which is why the system is of such benefit. But on a
course designed to give close competition even with the road congestion, the
dynamic pinch and zoom mapping on the navigation system allowed the XJ to reach
its destination with time to spare.
The InControl Touch Pro infotainment system features a
high-performance quad-core processor and runs on state-of-the-art, ultra-fast
Ethernet, a network technology which offers exceptional data transfer rates of
up to 1Gbit/second. Combined, they deliver incredible graphics, fast response
times and help to future-proof the system for significant upgrades in
functionality over time.
Jaguar spokesman, Ian Hoban, Vehicle Line Director said: “We
were privileged to gain an insight into the Dabbawalla business through this
activity, and it really showed us how efficient this kind of process can be,
even without the use of modern technology.
“In the race, the new XJ proved to be more than comfortable
in the city streets. Despite its size, it is nimble, manoeuvrable and dynamic
and that helped it cut through traffic with ease. The revolutionary technology
in the new InControl Pro system also made a big difference, both from a guidance
perspective and in allowing the Dabbawalla to ride in comfort.”
Sources : jaguar.co.uk
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