2006 Plant of the Year: New Lear Technology Transforms Car Interiors
More and more automakers are focusing on interior craftsmanship as they seek appearance goals that set their products apart from the competition. "Regardless of how well a car is engineered, if the fit and finish doesn't match or any of the components look inexpensive, most consumers believe that the entire vehicle is lacking in quality," claims Douglas DelGrosso, president and chief operating officer of Lear Corp. (Southfield, MI).
According to the Warwick Manufacturing Group (Coventry, England), the quality of a vehicle's craftsmanship is more important to owners than its drive--or even reliability--when influencing brand loyalty in the highly competitive premium car segment. Repeat purchasing is directly linked to consumer satisfaction and craftsmanship.