Abstract
This paper presents a new technology for the development and improvement of a company brand or model specific driveability character. The technology was devised by using a unique methodology for the objective evaluation of 300 driveability criteria, a large vehicle database, and third, consideration of differences in customer expectations worldwide, ranging from the USA to Europe and Japan. The paper shows a direct relation between customer expectations of driving fun, sportiness, sales factor to corresponding driveability criteria like pedal response delay, pedal to torque relation and jerk damping. It is shown that character improvement can be achieved by objective decrease of single criteria. This special type of 'driveability character shaping' using objective tools is shown for mid- and sports class vehicles. An improvement in driveability character of 10 ' 40% and increased driveability quality is expected by using this driveability character shaping approach.