Blending brains and beauty

For instrument panels, smarter chips help as clusters adapt to users' tastes.

Body and interior styling are key factors that determine whether a buyer picks a car, but once they own it, drivers spend plenty of time looking at the instrument panel. These panels, particularly the instrument clusters, are evolving rapidly as engineers add more functions throughout the vehicle.

There is little in the instrument panel that isn't changing. Plastics and other materials are evolving, giving designers more ability to change the look and feel of the cabin. A key element in these panels, the cluster, is undergoing even greater shifts, changing appearances to suit the driver's preferences.