GALLERY: GM's future interior designs
Interior design is one area where GM is lagging behind its European and Japanese rivals, but there's hope just beyond the horizon. Fully aware of its shortcomings, GM has put a new, more focused emphasis on improving the style and quality of its vehicles' interiors and a handful of official computer-generated concept renderings reveal that there's some very innovative thinking going down in Detroit.
The soon-to-be released Cadillac CTS is one such car that has shown what can be done. Its new interior shows a level of craftsmanship and style that not so long ago was limited to the domain of significantly more expensive imports. If all goes to plan, you won't have to shell out big bucks to enjoy a car with a nice cabin, either. These new concept sketches show several interior design elements, one specific to the Chevy and Pontiac brands as well as designs for GM's SUV and trucks.
[Source: Cheers and Gears]
Gallery: GM's future interior design concepts
Most of the renderings depict concepts for vehicle center stacks and climate-control systems of the future, but one of the more interesting images reveals a future multi-function key fob with an LCD surface and voice recognition features inspired by none other than Knight Rider's K.I.T.T.
Other drawings preview future designs for the center stack of GM's Lambda-based crossovers, better known as the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave, as well as a new design for its Chevy Malibu and Saturn Aura models and an upcoming SUV from Cadillac. Another highlight is a configurable instrument cluster with a jewel-like central dial sitting atop an electronic faceplate that can switch between the speedometer, tachometer or navigation system. Not just a pretty face, the designs have some ergonomic benefits, as well. Integrating the vehicle's sat nav screen into the main instrument cluster, for example, would mean drivers no longer have to turn their head away from the road to look up directions.
The latest Cadillacs have shown major improvements in quality and design, and as these new renderings show, there's more in store for the rest of GM's fleet. Now the race is on to see how quickly the systems move from the design studio to the showroom, and hopefully it's sooner rather than later.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ermax18 6:43PM (8/29/2007)
Demestics kind of had a free ride for so many years. Now that the Jap cars are really starting to take a chunk of the biz they are finally forced to get off the but and make desent products.
It's about time their interiors left the 80's!
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iamhoff 6:50PM (8/29/2007)
GM as a whole has made huge strides as of late, particularly on the interiors (2007 SRX, 2008 CTS, 2008 Malibu, 2008 Vette, 2007 Tahoe, etc.), and to see further refinements on the horizon is very promising. Back in the 80s, Trevor Creed was Ford's interior guru, and Ford's interior designs and layouts of the era were miles beyond the other domestics and actually were reasonably competitive against the imports. ChryCo hired him away in the early 90s, and their interior designs started to take off. Finally, GM is making strides...let's hope that Ford and ChryCo are inspired to be competitive.
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no_slushbox 11:40AM (8/30/2007)
I like most of the new GM interiors, but these concepts have me a bit worried, the center stacks and guage clusters are way too gadgety and overstyled, kind of like the 'vette/Pontiac interiors in the '80s. Material quality is key, otherwise KISS (although I guess a lot of buttons is probably better than I-drive).
If you make the scetch notes large enough to read they're pretty funny, the key fob concept talks about Knight Rider.
airport krishna 10:46PM (8/30/2007)
GM thrived for years on the philosophy that's been biting them back for years, "no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American buyer".
Now that people have plenty of choices better than GM, who cares that they're "vastly improved" - maybe so, but that gets them to where everyone was in the mid-90s. GM would need to sell AUDI/VW level interiors at a price lower than competitors for 20 years before anyone should take them seriously - it's called A t o n e m e n t.
Andre 7:14PM (8/29/2007)
A Cluster gauge with integrated GPS screen would be a nice option in a new car...
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John S 10:50PM (8/29/2007)
Been done... Its called the Chrysler Pacifica.
john 6:59PM (8/29/2007)
ermax18 @ Aug 29th 2007 6:43PM
Demestics kind of had a free ride for so many years. Now that the Jap cars are really starting to take a chunk of the biz they are finally forced to get off the but and make desent products.
It's about time their interiors left the 80's!
==================================
^^^^^^^
ermax18,
It's about time your opinions left the 1980s.
You are way behind the times. How long are we going to hear similar comments?
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SPG 7:02PM (8/29/2007)
Ford - smartened up years ago, however they are getting a little "blingy" in some trucks now.
Chrysler - smartened up a few years ago to some degree but the interior plastics quality is terrible feeling and looking. To the degree that if it is actually durable that it's hardly the issue anymore.
GM - The last to smarten up and get competitive. The worse offenders of them all and have had some of the worst designed and built interiors imaginable. Either too bland or too busy. Hideous and cheap. However in the last few years they have come a long way and have some of the best interiors in their respective classes. I am not including Cadillac but that division will be there soon.
Toyota and Honda (Last gen Accord, Civic, and Camry) had a really bad slump but seem to be over it now.
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Dinger 7:07PM (8/29/2007)
SPG,
So do you think the split-level "Starship Enterprise" dash on the new Civic is good?
SPG 7:54PM (8/29/2007)
Good point. That does look terrible.
Justin 12:10PM (8/30/2007)
So far as that dash, I hate it, but I would at least argue that I know alot of people who do like it, and good for Honda for at least experimenting. They dont rest on their laurels.
I love seeing the new Cadillacs. Theyve made the best strides across the board
SPG 4:03PM (8/30/2007)
Justin, I agree that MANY people really like that dash.
Months before that car came out the Civic brochures were flying around my former place of employment. People were fixated with the dash. Several times a day people asked me if I wanted to see pictures of the dash.
For the record we did nothing professionally with cars, just loans. Not even car loans.
geo.stewart 7:09PM (8/29/2007)
the caddy is pretty nice.
overall, design look and feel is upgraded. some is just trick.
seems to be a general movement in the industry that we all need more buttons on the center stack. there has to be a better way; less features, better interface, something.
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zamafir 7:19PM (8/29/2007)
it's called MMI and a company named Audi has it.
I'm not biting, on any of these, they're all features we already see in other car makers, and the retro throwbacks aren't relevant. When will GM realize what made all the cars we're nostalgic about was their stunning design/power, the 67 camaro wasn't retro, wasn't a remake.
At least GM Europe continues to give us cars in the form of saturns. Pity though GM's 'future interior designs' are their competitors "current interior designs". :/.
Scott 9:22AM (8/30/2007)
This looks like quite a bit of buttons to me:
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/images/Auto/gallery/285556/img_055.jpg
zamafir 9:36AM (8/30/2007)
Hey Scott, when responding to a post about MMI, it might be prudent to link to a photo of a car which actually has MMI vs a random Audi without it ;).
http://s2.desktopmachine.com/pics/Audi_A8-2008_529_1024x768.jpg
There you go.
geo.stewart 7:11PM (8/29/2007)
I'm sorry but I'm going to get on the soapbox.
Ford's trucks may be okay (havent paid attention) but their cars, specifically the Fusion, has the cheapest looking gauge cluster possible.
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geo.stewart 7:12PM (8/29/2007)
supposed to be a reply to SPG.
Autoblog,
the reply button is kind of flaky.
Cervus 7:14PM (8/29/2007)
When I was in the market for a new car two years ago, the interior ended up being one of the most important parts of my decision. I looked at a Chevy Cobalt and actually thought it was decent on the inside. The first interior I liked from Chevy.
But I ended up getting a Corolla, whose electroluminescent cluster is very sharp. A Pontiac Vibe was also on the short list, but I ended up passing on it.
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Richard 7:42PM (8/29/2007)
Ha! Ha! Ha!
What a joke!
They should get someone like Ed Tufte to consult to them on information display. Then, they should get someone who understands that a panel of undifferentiated switches is sooo 1960's E-Type.
The idea is that you can comprehend as soon as you see and find the right switch w/o taking your eyes off the road.
These look like they came from a bunch of design apprentices @ Nokia.
And, GM, if you are going that retro, please put in the little adjustable needle on the speedo so the thing buzzes when your speed passes the limit you set...just like my dad's 1961 Olds wagon. You do remember Oldsmobile, don't you GM?
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