Space can be a problem in Taipei, and sometimes there is precious little room to even open the door of your car. Getting in and out is easier with sliding doors, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by many car manufacturers. We are now seeing the sliding door design on a lot more compact cars and MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles).
The idea of sliding doors is not actually that new: they Sliding doors have been used on vans and SUVs (sports-utility vehicles) for some years now. This is primarily because traditional doors on larger vehicles are simply too big to be opened wide in certain situations, and sometimes passengers might even find it difficult to get out for lack of space to the side of their vehicle. The sliding door was seen as the answer to this problem.
In that case, you might be wondering why car manufacturers are not adopting this new door design on all their cars. The problem is that even though they require less lateral clearance, the vehicle still has to have enough height on the side and space to the rear for the sliding rails to be fitted, which narrows the choice down to larger vehicles and vans.
And there is another thing. Compared to traditional doors, it takes more physical strength to pull the sliding door open and back. To overcome this problem, higher range cars have been fitted with electrically powered slide doors, making them easier to use.
These restrictions had prevented the use of sliding doors on hatchbacks and compact cars in the past and this was especially true for cars like SUVs with their shorter rear sections.
Car designers never forgot the advantages offered by the Car designers never forgot the advantages offered by the sliding doors concept and as MPVs and cars with higher storage areas became more popular, we started seeing a lot more sliding doors.
In the 2002 Paris Motor Show Peugeot unveiled a car with the "Sesame" design concept, incorporating the more ample rear storage space with the convenience of sliding doors.
At this year's Geneva Motor Show people were introduced to the new Opel Trixx and its small car concept, with sliding doors opening to the rear and front. This design not only made it much more convenient to get in and out, but offered a highly versatile interior concept.
A few months later, the "Sesame" design was reincarnated in the Peugeot 1007, bringing together the practicality of a spacious compact and the convenience of sliding doors. At the same time, this had the effect of getting other car manufacturers wanting to get in on the act.
The Mazda 5, previously kept under wraps save for the release of a few photos of the exterior, finally made an appearance at this year's Paris Motor Show.
The Western motor media, in general, had originally thought the new car was to be next in line in the MPV and SUV range, but at this show they found out that it was in fact successor to the Premacy. Apparently, Mazda had also come to the conclusion that sliding doors were the best way to assure ease of access to the back seats of their new car.
Translated by Paul Cooper
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the Taipei Times, adding that Taiwan may become more cautious in its dealings with South Korea going forward. Taipei has called on Seoul to correct its electronic entry system, which currently lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” warning that reciprocal measures may follow if the wording is not changed before March 31. As of yesterday,
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
On Thursday, former Taipei mayor and founder of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was sentenced to 17 years in prison and had his civil rights suspended for six years over corruption, embezzlement and other charges. Seven others related to the case were also handed prison sentences, while two were found not guilty. It has been a bad week for the TPP. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) with suspicion of taking part in Beijing-directed election interference. Xu has strong links to the TPP, which once offered her a party list legislator nomination. Tuesday also
Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The
RSS