KEY SHOW THEMES TOP 5 PRODUCTION CARS TOP 5 CONCEPT CARS INTERIOR INNOVATIONS EXTERIOR INNOVATIONS TRADE SHOW EXTRAS

Massive Simplification

An ongoing trend is the simplification of interiors:the removal of physical buttons, switches andknobs. These are being replaced by an array oftouchscreen interfaces, touch control pads, andmultifunctional rotary selectors. Many cars nowcontain perhaps a dozen physical buttons –where a decade ago there were 40. Leading theway are BMW, Citroën and Kia with dualconnected screens, while Peugeot and Fordshow this trend in the mainstream.

Cars: 1. Jaguar C-X17 Concept2. Smart FourJoy Concept3. Mercedes S-Class Coupe Concept 4. Volvo Concept Coupe5. Citroën C-Cactus Concept6. Kia Niro Concept7. BMW i3

Contour Lines

As the interior simplifies, so more subtle, newand intricate forms of detailing are being soughtby designers in terms of color, materials andtrim. One emergent trend at Frankfurt was theidea of using contour lines. Best seen on theMercedes S-Class Coupe, contour lines featureon numerous main dashboard, door card andseat trim panels, accentuating the surface formsof each element - and are used to draw togetherthe front and rear of the car. In some casesthese were stitched or etched, in other caseslayers build contours, and we also noted implieddigital contouring.

Cars: 1. + 2. Mercedes S-Class Coupe Concept3. Renault Initiale Concept 4. Opel Monza Concept5. Peugeot 308

Gear-shifters Are History

Continuing to trend is the changing face of thegearshifter. As cars become increasingly electric(meaning they don’t need a traditional gearbox),or move to automatic transmissions in Europetoo (meaning the driver doesn’t self-shift), thedesigner has the option to reinvent the“gearstick” - and place it in different positions,including out of the way - as the driver rarelyneeds access to touch a selector to change thegear ratio.

Cars: 1. Mercedes S-Class has long used a selector wandon the column Now 2. Ford S-Max, 3. Opel Monza Concept andothers follow suit, with no gearshifter on the centerconsole 4. Porsche 918 gearshifter is a small toggle on thedash where you might expect the key to be5. Volvo retains the central selector but in a crystalform which will become a new Volvo designsignature6. BMW i3 + 7. Citroën Cactus all feature stackedshifters with integrated starters, situated in unusualplaces

Textiles & Textures

Automotive material use is of a notoriouslynarrow band, due to needing multiple propertiesincluding fire and stain resistance, lightfastnessand being hard wearing. Yet manufacturerscontinue to experiment with new ideas -particularly in concept vehicles, some of whichare gradually moving towards production reality.These materials are increasingly being used totell a wider story - about environmentalfriendliness, premium, advanced manufacture,or local origin.

Cars: 1. + 2. Kia Niro has a military feel with techno textileand reverse leather3. Volvo uses Scandinavian materials - crystal,glass, grey wood - to celebrate its Swedish heritage4. Citroën Cactus combines felt and leather and seatprinting for a simple, easily recyclable, yet Frenchfeel 5. Renault Initiale uses printed seats, graduated incolor - something that is destined for production6. BMW i3 uses sustainable eucalyptus wood andrecycled felt

Perforation Proliferation

New takes on perforated materials were seenextensively at the Frankfurt show. One commontrend was to run two perforated materialsalongside one another - one with a largeopening perforation next to one with fineperforation. Also on display were layers ofperforation (Smart), perforations that faded out(Mercedes and Peugeot) and perforationpatterns that mirrored other textures (Audi).Perforation is increasingly used to add detail,give a sense of depth and visually reduce massin the interior.

Cars: 1. Audi Sport Quattro Concept2. Smart FourJoy Concept3. Ford S-Max Concept4. Mercedes S-Class Coupe Concept 5. Kia Soul6. + 7. Lexus LF-NX Concept

Frankfurt Motor Show is the world’s largestmotor showThis year’s edition ran from September 10th -22nd1000+ exhibitors1 million+ visitors predicted to attend

High-end technology debuts include the MercedesS-Class with self-drive capabilities, and the NissanNismo SmartwatchPremium models return as brands push upmarketwith bigger and more expensive vehiclesFrankfurt Motor Show