Up until a few decades ago, instrument panels in most vehicles consisted of a smattering of simple analog buttons, dials, gauges, knobs and needles. Today, mechanical speedometers and tachometers have gone the way of bench seats, hood ornaments, hub caps and running boards.
Automakers spend a lot of time focusing on noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). That’s because many consumers demand vehicles that are as quiet as possible.
DETROIT—Fiat Chrysler, Magna Interior Inc., Grupo Antolin and the U.S. Department of Energy have collaborated on a project that reduces the weight of car doors by 42.5 percent without a dramatic increase in cost. Using a holistic approach, engineers looked at the door as a complete system that could integrate everything available on the market today.
Seating is something that most people never think about when they get behind the wheel. But, it plays an important role in overall customer satisfaction.
Believe it or not, cup holders were unheard of in automobiles 25 years ago. But not anymore. Americans are spending more and more time inside their cars, and the market is responding accordingly. Today, interiors are ground zero for automakers and suppliers.
