Global Viewpoints North America Spending time in-and money on-interiors

North American OEMs and suppliers are doing their best to match their European and Asian competitors in the areas of interior appearance, functionality, and overall satisfaction.

The experience of buying and bonding to a new car can be broken into periods neatly defined by the number 10, according to Tier 1 automotive supplier Intier. Ten seconds is how long it takes for a buyer to determine how appealing the vehicle's exterior is. The buyer is most influenced in the following 10 minutes by the showroom experience. The buyer's level of satisfaction with the purchase will be determined over the next 10 weeks. Within the next 10 months, the owner will have completely “bonded” with the interior, for better or for worse, and will greatly influence whether the owner sticks with the brand next time around.

Clearly, said Intier's Elizabeth Griffith, “interiors are of huge importance to the marketplace. People [OEMs] are spending more on interiors, because they need to.” The Vice President of Program Management, Research & Development, and Supplier Integration, Griffith believes consulting firm CSM Worldwide is correct “directionally” in predicting steady growth for the interiors market. According to Don Montroy, CSM North America Component Market Analyst, the total dollar value of the interior trim market in North America and Europe was $17 billion in 2003. He expects that figure to climb to $20.6 billion by calendar year 2005 and to $22.7 billion by CY2008.