The world of automotive testing and validation is undergoing a profound transformation—driven by shifting consumer expectations, tightening regulatory frameworks, rapid technological advances, and the increasing complexity of vehicles themselves.
Once primarily focused on affordability, today’s Indian automotive customer demands not only value but also enhanced safety, modern technology, intelligent features, and even health-conscious design elements, said C V Raman, Member of Executive Committee, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Past President, SAE India. Delivering the keynote on ‘Future Technologies’ at the SAE India Automotive Leadership Summit organised alongside Automotive Testing Expo 2025, he said, this shift in user expectations is fundamentally reshaping the way vehicles are developed, tested, and validated.
From an industry perspective, regulatory compliance in India has also matured significantly. The country is now aligned with global benchmarks, having adopted BS-6 emission standards and implemented safety protocols like Bharat NCAP. The focus is already expanding to include areas like cybersecurity and connected vehicle ecosystems. With electrification, autonomous driving, and advanced human-machine interfaces gaining traction, vehicle development must adapt at an unprecedented pace.
According to Raman, the traditional vehicle development cycle—moving from sketch to design, to prototyping and physical validation—has served the industry for decades. But this linear model is no longer sufficient. “Today’s market dynamics require a parallel shift in engineering strategies: a move from the right side of the development V-cycle (physical validation) to the left (virtual modelling and simulation). This paradigm shift enables engineers to anticipate issues earlier in the development cycle, reducing time to market and helping meet the growing demand for shorter product lifespans and more frequent model updates,” he said.
Simulation technologies have already become foundational. Whether it’s crash analysis, noise-vibration-harshness (NVH) assessments, or computational fluid dynamics (CFD), computer-aided engineering (CAE) is now deeply embedded in every aspect of vehicle design. However, simulation alone is not yet sufficient. Despite achieving roughly 90% correlation in some use cases—like pedestrian safety and crashworthiness—physical testing remains essential. “The ultimate goal is to bridge the remaining 10% gap by continuously improving the correlation between digital models and real-world performance,” he mentioned.
The journey ahead is one of convergence. Engineers are striving to bring road experiences into the proving ground, simulate them in controlled lab environments, and finally, replicate them within virtual models. This layered approach—where hardware-in-the-loop (HiL), software-in-the-loop (SiL), and model-in-the-loop (MiL) systems play increasingly critical roles—is necessary to handle the growing complexity of vehicle electronics and embedded software. With dozens of electronic control units (ECUs) interacting across various domains, system-level simulation and validation are key to ensuring product reliability and safety.
Electrification brings new validation challenges. Battery thermal management, electric motor output behaviour, and integrated vehicle dynamics all require advanced testing frameworks. Thermals, especially, are a frontier for simulation accuracy. Traditional crash or durability tests must now incorporate battery pack response and behaviour under various stress scenarios.
With the shift toward digital validation, the industry faces three fundamental questions: Can math models ever be made perfect? Can human judgment evolve fast enough to rely on purely virtual outcomes? And can digital-first development truly replicate the nuances of real-world vehicle usage? These questions are being actively explored, and though the answers may not be definitive yet, the pursuit itself is fuelling innovation, he explained.
A hybrid approach—leveraging both physical and digital validation, which he called ‘Physital’—is the current reality. But as tools improve, artificial intelligence matures, and simulation platforms become more robust, the future leans strongly toward digital-first vehicle development. For manufacturers, this not only promises reduced costs and compressed timelines but also unlocks the potential for 'first-time-right' design—a long-sought goal in the automotive world, he said.
In essence, automotive validation is no longer just about checking boxes; it's about delivering confidence, reliability, and safety in an era of smart, connected, and electrified mobility. The shift from conventional to digitally empowered development isn’t just an engineering evolution—it’s a strategic imperative for staying ahead in tomorrow’s automotive landscape, Raman added.
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