keoni Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Upon attending a recent auto show and looking at new upcoming products, I've noticed certain similar design trends in multiple manufactures. The one that stands out the most is the "phablet/tablet" type nav/info screen. I first experienced it in the new 3-Series but have seen it appear in Mazda and Audi as well. It's almost as if designers thought, lets jump on the tablet craze and permanently dock a flat screen on top of the dash. The other element I've been seeing is an evolution of circular vents. Moving from Ford type (in which the vents can be closed making a flat surface) I'm seeing articulated concentric rings within each other. Surprisingly they felt great in Mercedes and Audi. Was the latest XJ the first to use these? Guess I'm wondering why these similar designs are popping up across multiple manufactures at the same time. Did some door to door salesman land all the German luxury makes in one felt swoop? Is there some sort of convention in which all the latest ideas are presented by third parties and the manufactures jump on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 When one automaker stumbles across a design element that gains popularity (or even perceived popularity) then others are usually quick to jump on board. This really nothing new in the auto industry (or any other consumer goods industry really). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keoni Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 When one automaker stumbles across a design element that gains popularity (or even perceived popularity) then others are usually quick to jump on board. This really nothing new in the auto industry (or any other consumer goods industry really). True, but these new elements are showing up at the same time, specifically the tablet looking screen. I find it odd that three manufactures released this element within a year of each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 True, but these new elements are showing up at the same time, specifically the tablet looking screen. I find it odd that three manufactures released this element within a year of each other. Several manufacturers launched touch screen interfaces within a year of Ford doing so. Doesn't take much of a leap to think that a somwhat more "tablet-like" interface would be the next logical progression. Additionally, with better manufacturing methods, it has become much easier for automakers to push new features to market faster than they used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I would not be surprised if a Tier 1 made pitches regarding the tablet-style display. I would not be surprised if a supplier like Nippondenso, or Bosch (or whoever), pitched that configuration as part of a 'just-add-interface graphics' all-in-one module, and the manufacturers bought it as such. Vents--that's probably a case of monkey-see, monkey-do--the manufacturer asking the supplier for 'vents like the Benz.' I wouldn't guess that a particular supplier has a whole pile of money invested in any one vent configuration, as the molds are, AFAIK, pretty cheap, and the assembly process is straightforward and involves no fasteners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calypsocoral Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 It finally appears as if there is a shift toward sleeker designs, which couldn't be more welcome. After more than a decade of belt-lines looking like this: ... ...giving us side and rear windows reminiscent of this: ...it finally appears as though they are beginning to recede. The new Accord is a good example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 ...it finally appears as though they are beginning to recede. The new Accord is a good example. Well, the previous Accord never went with a high belt line in the first place, so I don't think that's a really good example. Now if we see something that previously had a high belt line return to a lower one (let's see what the new MKS and Taurus turn out like for example) then I'd say it's becoming more normalized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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