Tacianki vnutri teperi bolee functionalini

Vehicle Interiors are Bright, Functional Now that on-board video screens are commonplace and the hype over navigational systems has died down, automakers are looking for new ways to excite customers about vehicle interiors. Bright, new colors and designs that emphasize ease and function are in abundance at the North American International Auto Show this year. "Two years ago, it was all about telematics and the office-on-wheels," said J Ferron, an auto analyst for PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Detroit. "Now we're back to really good ergonomics, functionality and safety." Gone are the days of removing the second row of seats in a minivan to get extra storage room, for example. Instead, Audi's Pikes Peak quattro concept minivan has remote controlled seats that move up or down. The second row in Toyota's Sienna minivan shifts to increase cargo space. Nissan's Quest minivan debuts a seating system by Johnson Controls that allows the user to fold the seat into the floor. Johnson Controls also is displaying a concept seat that molds to a driver's body shape. The seat was developed with Grand Rapids-based furniture maker Steelcase. The Audi A8 has a massage function in its seats, which also have individual ventilation systems. Dodge tries to ease conversation with its concept Kahuna, which has a front passenger seat that flips around to face the back seats. "The quest for the perfect seat continues to be a challenge for everybody," said Jeff Steiner, vice president for sales at Johnson Controls. Other vehicles are drawing attention with their bold hues and design. Saab's 9-3 sedan sports white leather seats with wide black accent stripes. Ford's concept Mustang and BMW's Alpine Roadster feature bright red leather alongside shiny brushed metal. The Mini Cooper has optional tan leather seats with black headrests and bold accent stripes. Audi's RS6 has leather seats in cream with black piping. Ford is featuring a special F-150 in black and gray with Harley-Davidson logos on the seats and console. Even the Quest features interiors in a bright, dusty red and berry. Nissan officials proudly note that departure for the staid minivan. "In this segment, it's been a world of beige and gray," said Ken Kcomt, Quest product manager. "We wanted to show that it can be good-looking." Kcomt said he's seeing a boom in colors, features and styling now that automakers have basically caught up to each other in technical skill. Robert Lutz, General Motors' vice president for product development, agrees with that assessment. Lutz said interiors suffered as automakers tried to pile more and more features into a car whether or not consumers wanted them. Anti-lock brakes were an example of a feature GM used to include as a standard, he said, even though the company felt it didn't necessarily enhance safety. "The customer responds, 'Ooh, look at that list of stuff. But unfortunately I don't like the way it looks inside.' Slam," Lutz said. Anti-lock breaks now cost more on some GM cars. Once GM removed excess features, it reinvested the money into details like better stitching, better materials for door trim panels and better-designed instrument panels. Pontiac now features precision knobs and switches that mimic those on imports, Lutz said. "These are the things that customers subconsciously base quality judgments on," he said. Lutz added that consumers are seeing more options than ever in interiors. For every model GM makes, he said, the company develops three possible interiors, for buyers who want to pay entry-level, mid-level or luxury prices. Eventually, he said, the company may have to shift resources to handle the load. "It has probably increased the workload in the interiors area by one thousand percent," he said. Ferron applauds that attention to interiors. "There's a tremendous amount of creative work being done right now," he said. "You're seeing some personality."