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Ford Interior Design to Enter New Phase, Says the Man in Charge

Developing cars for a global audience can't be an easy task, and that's a burden that mostly rests on the designer's shoulders.
Ford F-Series HD interior 1 photo
Photo: Ford
It's enough to have a look at the Japanese market and compare it to any other in the world to see just how different people's preferences can be from one corner of the world to another. And yet, some products are meant to appeal to everybody else. "One Ford" goes the tagline, and the designers must comply.

As it happens, Ford is fortunate enough to have nine design offices scattered around the world, so getting the pulse of every corner of the planet isn't as difficult. Coming up with a solution to please everyone, on the other hand, will pose a much greater problem. And that's mainly because if you try too hard to please everyone, you risk ending letting everyone down.

Look at Ford's interiors for the past few years and you'll see a very impersonal approach that looked totally un-characterful and uneventful. Add to that a list of old models that need replacing soon and you've got a pretty drab picture with dated and uninspiring dashboards that won't appeal to anyone this side of 2015.

Amko Lenaarts, Ford Motor Co's director of global interior design, is perfectly aware of all this, even though he might not fully admit it. In a discussion with Automotive News, he said that we should expect a significant change in what we'll see beyond the doors of future Ford models.

"I don't think we will play it safe. I think we will be characterful both on the exterior and interior," he said. He admits that the abundance of technology being squeezed into cars right now is raising new problems, but concludes that, in the end, design needs to be emotional.

In terms of quality and finish, Ford will adhere to the current trend of premium-like interiors, with materials that mimic those found in luxury models and great care for fitting and finish.

Of course, this all sounds very promising, but at the end of the day, we'll just have to wait and see. A change clearly needs to happen and it can't come soon enough for Ford's global models. You can read the full interview here.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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