Autoblog

Click image for a gallery of the 2007 Jeep Compass

While everyone's waiting for Chrysler to fix the interiors of the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger, Cerberus has made a surprise decision to spruce up the Jeep side of the house first. Both the Compass and Patriot are getting freshened interiors, and not a moment too soon. While we haven't driven the Compass (which would benefit from a flamethrower to the exterior as well), we've spent some time with the Patriot, which shares its sibling's exceptionally unexceptional cabin appointments. Hard, cheap-looking, plastic abounds, and attention to detail is uneven at best. For example, there's all kinds of flash left on trim elements like the individual slats in the HVAC vents, and apparently, Chrysler expects the front seat occupants to supply their own padding for the granite-hard armrests. Overall, it's a resounding disappointment inside, which is unfortunate because the Patriot's boxy exterior style is solid, handsome, traditional Jeep. While it wasn't the most refined vehicle, it made for a solid little 4WD commuter (especially with the manual transmission). Almost everyone who saw it was immediately taken with its outward appearance. Open the door, however, and you get the impression that the passenger seat is coated in truth serum, and not just the bland-looking YES Essentials fabric that's standard in the Patriot Sport. Discussions frequently went something like this:

Passenger: "What the... It's like a total economy car inside."
Me: 'Well, that's because it's based on an economy car."
Passenger: "Ugh. Not good. I don't know if I could look at this every day."

According to Automotive News, to address the matter, Chrysler worked with a consultant to develop new Euro-style textures for the interior and also softened the armrests in the doors. AN reports that Chrysler wunder-designer Ralph Gilles admits the automaker "did some soul-searching" over the ComPatriot interiors...and he's talking about the time prior to the vehicles' respective launches. Doing it properly the first time around, of course, would eliminate the need for such introspection in the first place. Chrysler's domestic competition has upped the ante in terms of interior looks and refinement, and the Pentastar is in the unenviable position of having to play catch-up, even with its own essentially brand-new product. The new interior appointments arrive in the Fall for the Jeeps, with the Dodge Caliber getting a similar treatment shortly thereafter.

[Source: Automotive News -- sub. req'd.]

As the all-new LR2 graces billboards all over America, an all-newer LR2 (Freelander 2, to Euros) is already being planned in Europe. Land Rover won't admit to it, but Auto Express claims inside knowledge that a 7-seat variant is being drafted. If such a vehicle is in the works, it won't appear for another year-and-a-half, which means it might need to claw back a fair bit of ground on competition that is already parading out of showrooms, namely the Peugeot 4007 and Chevrolet Captiva.

The LR2's dimensions are plenty big enough for a set of convertible seats, though the load area would be reshaped to allow for necessary legroom. The question is whether it will come with such seating or if it will be an option, and whether the U.S. will get the 7-seater choice. While the UK has nine (count em, nine!) different LR2 options, the US just gets one model, the SE, whose sole engine option is an inline six. The US-spec LR3 comes with room for a septet, and with the baby CUV wars warming like the climate, there's no reason to think the LR2 won't offer the same.

[Source: Auto Express]

Ever wondered who sets the trends for vehicle interior design? It's not always the automakers that come up with all the innovative ideas, sometimes its the actual auto parts suppliers that create the technologies that go into new models. At this year's Frankfurt Auto Show, one such company, Johnsons Controls, will be unveiling several new concepts to give us a glimpse of what to expect in vehicle interiors of the future.

The concepts will include a new electronic driver information system that will be able to control a myriad of mobile devices, such as cell-phones or MP3 players via voice activated commands or steering wheel mounted buttons. The external devices can then be stored out of view, connected to the car in a separate compartment in the armrest. Other features include new artificial surface and trim materials developed in-house by Johnson Controls as well a plug-in hybrid battery drivetrain.

The best news is that most of the Johnson Controls concepts being displayed at the Frankfurt Show are already available to manufacturers to install in next-gen models so it'll definitely worth keeping an eye on their stand.

[Source: Johnson Controls]

When did the day come that interiors designed by our own domestic automakers were being celebrated as the best in the biz? After decades of dull designs, cheap materials and poor fit and finish, that day would be today. Ward's Auto has released the results of its 2007 Interior of the Year Competition, in which both its own editors and members of the auto industry at large choose the best inner sanctums in seven vehicle classes ranging from Economy-Priced Car to Premium-Priced Truck. Shocker: Domestics cleaned up, being awarded 11 out of 14 class awards between the editors' choices and the popular vote (and that's not including the Volvo S80's editor award for Premium-Priced Car). The Saturn Aura and Chevy Silverado, in particular, were singled out for their fine furnishings by both judging bodies in their respective classes, just like they were in the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards last January.

Ward's also awarded prized for Best Brand Expression to the Jeep Wrangler, Best Interior Trim to the Infiniti G35, Best Cup Holder to the Chrysler Sebring and Best Overall Comfort to the Lexus LS 460L. Check out all the award winners after the jump, and pontificate on the state of affairs that led us to this day when domestic interiors are getting props aplenty.

[Source: The Auto Channel]

click above image to view a gallery of concept interior components from GM

The entire Autoblog team was impressed with the 2008 Cadillac CTS when it debuted at the Detroit Auto Show last month. "You have to sit in it," was the command heard most among the crew, and indeed the interior is as dazzling as the new sheetmetal. The CTS interior is the first example of how General Motors' renewed focus on interiors is paying off in ways more noticeable than just better buttons for the radio. BusinessWeek has published an article that details many of the individual interior components being redesigned and rethought at GM, including said radio controls, the steering wheel, seats, key fobs and more.

It's a good read, but as many astute auto enthusiasts noticed, the accompanying slide show includes a pic of an interior that appears to be that of the 2008 Cadillac STS. Actually, the interior shown is the exact same one with a different steering wheel that debuted inside the long-wheelbase SLS now beind sold in China. We called it back in November that the Chinese SLS interior would likely show up in our own domestic market STS, and this new pic seems to indicate that's correct. Hopefully this means we'll also get the highly detailed CTS-like grille from the SLS and its other exterior tweaks. For that matter, we wouldn't mind a long-wheelbase version of the STS on this side of the globe, either.

Check out the gallery of other concept interior components that GM has been working on.

[Source: BusinessWeek via GMInsideNews]

2006 Audi A3 2.0T and 2006 Volkswagen GTI in the Autoblog Garage Days 3-4



As we mentioned in the first part of our Sibling Rivalry review, we're comparing a base-model Audi A3 to an upper-end Volkswagen GTI. "What's best for VW is just the beginning for Audi" is the tagline we used earlier, and that sentiment carries over into the interiors of these two vehicles, as well.

The Volkswagen/Audi Group is well known as a builder of the best interiors in town for its simple yet useful designs and high quality materials throughout. While it's plain to see these vehicles don't share any exterior components, we were anxious to learn if there would be any part swapping taking place behind closed car doors where it's not so obvious.