The Chevrolet Avalanche and Ford Thunderbird have been named 2002

The Chevrolet Avalanche and Ford Thunderbird have been named 2002
Interior if the Year for new cars and trucks, respectively. Auto Interiors
magazine presented the awards at the Auto Interiors show in Detroit May
14.
The other finalists for the car award were the BMW 7-Series and Mini
Cooper. The truck finalists were the Lincoln Blackwood and Honda CR-V.
The editorial staff of Auto Interiors magazine judged the contest. They
evaluated more than 30 cars and trucks that were either new or
substantially redesigned for the 2002 model year.
“The objective of the judging was to identify the car and truck whose
interiors stand out for their beauty, functionality and innovation,” says
Auto Interiors editor Carmen Pang.
Criteria for the award were: appearance, functionality, innovation and
overall impression of the vehicle.
Ford studied Thunderbirds from 1955 to 1961 when it designed the 2002
model’s interior, Ford designer Mark Conforzi says. The design team
focused on exposed metal and the “expressive use of color” for the car, he
said.
GM designer John Cafaro called the Avalanche’s award “a recognition of GM’
s innovation and development of products our customers ‘gotta have.’”
Key interior suppliers were also recognized. For the Avalanche, they
included Autoliv, Collins & Aikman, Delphi, Findlay, Lear, Meridian,
Takata-Petri and TRW.
Thunderbird suppliers included Alps Kiekert, Lear, Visteon, Takata-Petri
and TRW.— Mark Phelan

INTERIOR DESIGNERS: SIMPLER IS BETTER
As automakers place more emphasis on interior design and features, some
leaders in the field want to use new materials and return to simple,
driver-friendly features, according to a panel on trends in interior
design.
“We’re running the risk of having too many gadgets,” says John Phillips,
director of industrial and advanced product development for supplier Lear
Corp. “We should focus on things that make drivers better. Things like
proximity sensors to help during lane changes.”
Suppliers and automakers should concentrate on “technology for safety, not
technology for technology’s sake,” he says.
Speaking at the Auto Interiors show in Detroit, Phillips and Rob Huber,
executive director of industrial design for supplier Johnson Controls also
argued for unobtrusive telematics systems that give drivers the
information they need when they need it, and remain in the background the
rest of the time. “We need to focus on what’s needed to make driving safer
and more comfortable,” Huber says.
Phillips also said he is looking for new materials to use in car
interiors. His ideas included replacing wood trim with bamboo and
electroluminiscent headliners.
New materials and designs for lighter and more comfortable seats are also
possible, says Ben Delphia, director of styling for supplier Intier
Automotive. ”We’re looking at mesh seating like the Herman Miller Aeron
office chair,” Delphia says. “We’re very excited about the possibilities
of mesh for vehicles from Cadillacs to Jeeps.” —Mark Phelan