Car interiors have changed radically over the years.
In its heyday, Detroit produced some of the wildest, most colorful and over-the-top interiors ever to grace four wheels. Americans loved them, but by the 1980s, a rising tide of imports brought a new aesthetic, offering more demure designs and fewer color choices. The dullest period for automotive interiors came in the 1990s and early 2000s when three colors dominated: black, beige and gray.
New cars, trucks and SUVs have seen a rebirth of creativity in interior design. Here are a few examples.
Credit: Special
Credit: Special
50 shades of mocha
Designers frequently employ variations of brown. Imbued with names like Saddle, Mocha, Hazelnut and Java, this stylish offering was once the purview of high-end luxury models like the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, as we learned in “The Devil Wears Prada,” all expensive things eventually trickle down to the masses. Almost always offered in leather, this color combo has made its way to more pedestrian makes from Subaru, Hyundai and Toyota. Nevertheless, don’t expect to see it on a base model. Snazzy colors remain reserved for the select few who can afford the top-of-the-line trims.
Credit: Special
Credit: Special
It’s the little things
Clever designers have found an inexpensive way to add a playful element to their car’s interior. It’s a hidden visual feature known as an Easter egg. Jeep is famous for its hidden gems, such as the silhouette of a tiny Jeep driving across the windshield’s edge, an embossed Jeep grille and headlights on a seat back and a map of Moab atop a rubber cubby mat. Other admirable mentions include a map of the Sea of Tranquility on the Hummer EV’s speaker grilles, paw prints on the new Forester’s rear doors and Pause and Play symbols on the VW ID. Buzz’s brake and accelerator pedals.
Credit: Special
Credit: Special
A stitch in time
Another way designers make car interiors more alluring is by using various sewing and stitch patterns over bright fabrics. The diamond stitch pattern once found in luxury cars works equally well in models from Kia, Nissan and Hyundai. The Acura TLX offers bright red perforated leather with a unique center insert, while the Honda Passport TrailSport mixes various pore sizes, contrasting stitching and embossed headrests.
The color of money
Remember when you got your first box of Crayola crayons? There you were, strutting into first grade with your 16-pack box of waxy sticks, ready to tackle whatever coloring book or errant sheet of paper came your way. You felt smug until the local rich kid unpacked his 64-count box with its built-in sharpener put you to shame.
This important childhood lesson remains relevant today. Simply put, the more green in your wallet, the more color for your palette. Let the peasants have their Saddle Brown and Oyster leather; the well-off can opt for just about any hue or fabric they desire, courtesy of the bespoke ordering options from high-end brands like Porsche, Bentley and Aston Martin. The ultimate interior embellishments come from Rolls-Royce through its Gallery concept, where craftspeople replicate unique art pieces across the dash. Be it an aluminum billet mimicking a silk scarf in water or dozens of iridescent bird feathers woven into a single sheet, this is one upgrade I’m pretty sure won’t be finding its way into the average car or SUV.
Light bright
Another inexpensive way to bring color into the cabin is with ambient lighting. Advances in LED technology enable customers to try their hand at design, with some systems offering up to 126 different color choices. Other examples of in-cabin lighting include Genesis’ glowing rotary shift sphere and Rolls-Royce’s Starlight Headlining. DIYers without a Rolls-Royce budget can add a starscape to their interior for as little as $100 — a true example of trickle-down luxury.
Joe Tralongo is an automotive writer for Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, based in Missoula, Montana. He has been covering the automotive industry since 2000.
The Steering Column is a weekly consumer auto column from Cox Automotive. Cox Automotive and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are owned by parent company, Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises.
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