2024.05.20 Hyundai Motor Group
The Evolution of Technology and Interior Design Form Factors in Automotive Design
Automobile design has always been driven by technological advancements, particularly evident in interior design. The similarity in interior form factors across various manufacturers is largely due to this trend, representing the optimal and most aesthetically pleasing design delivered by the latest technology.
Like living organisms that evolve to survive in their environments over time, showing traits of convergent evolution despite being different species, automobile interiors have evolved similarly. This evolution aims to optimize the convenience and travel experience for passengers, leading to a convergence in design across different manufacturers.
The trend in recent automotive interiors is characterized by simplification and enlargement of displays. Unlike the past, where each manufacturer’s unique design philosophy was evident, there is now a rapid standardization in dashboard and center fascia designs, driven by minimalist trends. This shift results from advancements in digital hardware technology and ergonomically influenced designs.
The Introduction of Media in A Car
The car display, a staple in vehicle interiors, has evolved in tandem with media advancements. Initially, automotive manufacturers had more freedom in the placement of center fascia components before the era of ‘visual media.’
Previously, the position of the audio unit did not dictate the interior form factor. Like turning on the radio at home while engaging in other activities, audio-centric media did not require frequent operational checks like navigation systems do, which explains why the audio unit’s placement varied from the top of the dashboard to the bottom of the center fascia.
*Form factor is a hardware design aspect that defines and prescribes the size, shape, and other physical specifications of components.
Vehicle radios, first installed in the 1930s, were the initial form of media device in automobiles. The transition from analog controls for radio frequency adjustment to digital displays occurred in the 1970s with the introduction of FM stereo tuners. These displays, capable of showing only numbers or simple characters, were the precursors to modern “infotainment systems.”
Over time, radios evolved to accommodate new media forms like cassette tapes and compact discs. The limitations of digit displays in representing various media information led to their replacement by monochrome LCDs, which could provide more detailed representations and gradually expanded in display area.
Visual Media Changes Interior Trends
The first vehicle navigation systems, developed in the 1980s, began to be commercialized in the mid-1990s. These early systems utilized LCD-based color displays to provide route information, representing a pinnacle of technological innovation at the time. Initially separate from audio systems and dedicated solely to displaying maps, these navigation units evolved over time to integrate with existing media devices. Eventually, the navigation monitor transformed into a comprehensive multimedia system known as the “infotainment system,” becoming the main display for crucial vehicle information.
However, unlike radios, navigation systems require frequent checks while driving. As the functions diversified and the frequency of operations increased, automakers began to position monitors and controls at the top of the center fascia, where eye movement is minimized. This display-centered interior configuration is a result of ergonomic considerations, and this approach continues to this day.
The evolution of technology has changed interior design
The evolution of technology has led to significant changes in interior form factors. For example, the adoption of touchscreen technology has led to a revolutionary reduction in the number of buttons. Additionally, technologies that allow a significant reduction in component numbers, such as the integration of touch layers and module unit design, have begun to be applied sequentially.
Moreover, with the improvement in circuit integration, curved displays and OLED panels have been commercialized for vehicular technology recently, increasing the design freedom of various controls and displays. This has made it easier to pursue a design that emphasizes simplicity and openness by compactly configuring core interior elements such as the center fascia.
Notably, technologies that have disappeared or been replaced are also numerous. For instance, cassette players and CD changers have become nearly obsolete due to the proliferation of flash drives and the establishment of infotainment systems. Additionally, technologies like Shift By Wire (SBW) are replacing traditional mechanical devices, helping to utilize limited space more efficiently.
Another beneficiary of hardware technological advancements is the dashboard. Initially displaying basic information such as speed, engine RPM, and remaining fuel in an analog format, dashboards have evolved to house trip computers that include digital displays or LCDs showing additional data like travel distance.
However, as electronic devices proliferated and new applications like electrified powertrains and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) were introduced, the current trip computers were not enough; the complexity and diversity of the information needed on dashboards increased. This led to larger, color displays replacing traditional clusters, enhancing the openness and visual accessibility of vehicle interiors.
Interior design to provide the best travel experience
Hyundai Motor Group is one of the manufacturers most actively embracing these interior trends. The key features of the latest interiors under the Hyundai Motor Group include wide dashboards, slim center fascias, and a luxurious and spacious feel emphasized by the ‘Panoramic Display.’
Hyundai’s infotainment system monitors are designed based on ergonomic principles, with the display replacing the traditional dashboard instruments to facilitate natural eye movement and ease of use. The panoramic design, which merges displays of the same size into a single panel, creates a seamless form factor that becomes a new focal point in interior design.
Moreover, Hyundai retains key elements of the trend while adding unique features to the interior design of each brand and model. This approach ensures a consistent user experience while imprinting the unique characteristics of each brand and model. For instance, Hyundai uses the ‘Hyundai Look,’ which is likened to chess pieces, each with its role but united in the goal of victory, as a direction for its designs.
Hyundai Group tailors its interior design in detail, considering the main characteristics and lifestyles of its target customer base for each vehicle type. For example, during the development of the fifth-generation Santa Fe, Hyundai conducted big data analysis related to its primary customer base to derive an outdoor-centric lifestyle concept, focusing on innovative luggage space solutions while maintaining core form factors and imbuing the model with unique character traits.
The unpredictable future of interior design trends
As Hyundai’s example illustrates, the process by which car interiors become more alike is the result of the latest technology being integrated to achieve the most useful and beautiful forms. Thus, unless the trend towards larger displays diminishes, significant changes in automotive interior form factors are unlikely in the near future.
However, we are on the cusp of numerous technological innovations. Innovations in mobility control systems due to the realization of fully autonomous driving, innovations in interfaces brought by voice control, and innovations stemming from content incorporating AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) are just some of the foreseeable changes in vehicle interiors. These innovations could radically transform the interiors of mobility as we have often imagined when looking at concept cars.
In a world where technology trends rapidly evolve, it is not unusual for these changes to occur. However, the underlying design philosophy of manufacturers, aimed at ensuring the most comfortable and enjoyable travel experience for passengers, will remain unchanged. Hyundai Motor Group, which has consistently focused on passenger safety and convenience, is no exception. This is why the prospect of new interiors offered by future mobility is even more exciting.
By Yoon Hyunsoo
Advised by research engineer Seo Dong-young at Hyundai Genesis Design Strategy Team
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