A view from inside

Consumers in general seek comfort, convenience, and entertainment from their purchases, and that is increasingly true for vehicles, which deliver these attributes largely through inviting and engaging interiors.

While the exterior is what initially draws a customer to a vehicle and is an outward statement to the surrounding community of who he or she is, the interior is where the person spends his or her time and can largely determine the buyer's experience with the vehicle. And people are spending more time than ever in their vehicles.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's recent American Community Survey, Americans now drive about 24.3 min on average to get to work. Over the course of a year, they spend more than 100 h commuting to work-more than the average 80 h of vacation time many workers take during that same time.