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https://www.wardsauto.com/industry-news/autoline-daily-2021-top-industry-news-oct-21
It’s All About Utility on Wards 10 Best Interiors List
Seven winning utility vehicles demonstrate how automakers are focusing intently on the popular CUV and SUV segments, while two sedans and a fullsize pickup round out the list of this year’s winners.
Tom Murphy | Oct 15, 2021
The path to success for automakers today in the U.S. market must include a compelling car-based cross/utility vehicle.
Sales data collected by Wards Intelligence for the ’21 model year that just ended Sept. 30 confirms it: 45.3% of vehicles sold were CUVs, up nearly three percentage points from the prior year. Cars accounted for 22.8% of sales, compared with 18.2% for all pickups, 9.1% for all body-on-frame SUVs and 4.6% for vans.
So, is it any wonder that seven of the 2021 Wards 10 Best Interiors winners are utility vehicles? Clearly, automakers are unleashing some of their best interior designers on these segments where volume is flourishing and money is to be made.
We’ve been identifying each winner over the past two weeks in non-alphabetical order, and today the list is complete as the Ford F-150 shines in the winners’ spotlight.
The 2021 Wards 10 Best Interiors are:
Years ago, when conventional cars ruled the market, even they were body-on-frame, but unibody construction eventually took over most segments to reduce weight and improve ride quality.
That gradual transition brings us to today’s market, where CUVs, SUVs and even some pickup trucks are as comfortable, stylish and technology-packed as many luxury cars – and of course they hold the upper hand in roominess and cargo capacity.
That’s not to say traditional cars are sadly overlooked. The S-Class continues to represent the pinnacle of luxury interior design, and the latest Civic cabin remains what it’s always been: handsome, upscale and a terrific value with impeccable fit-and-finish.
We evaluated 33 vehicles this past summer, and to be eligible an interior must be all-new or significantly improved from the prior year.
We score based on materials, comfort, ergonomics, safety, fit-and-finish and, most importantly, aesthetics and design harmony. There’s no price cap but value certainly is a factor.
Part of our scoring also is dedicated to driver information – how user-friendly is the infotainment system?
But that segment of vehicle development has exploded in recent years, keeping pace with consumer-electronics trends tied to connectivity, navigation, voice control and a customized experience behind the wheel.
Its because of this that we split off a third competition dedicated to the user experience. We launched Wards 10 Best UX in 2016, and this year’s nominees were evaluated at the same time we scored 10 Best Interiors vehicles.
WardsAuto will begin naming the 2021 Wards 10 Best UX winners on Thursday, Oct. 21, one day at a time in non-alphabetical order.
Wards 10 Best Interiors winners will be honored in a Nov. 16 ceremony during our Automotive Tech Week, to be held at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, MI.
Click here for conference information and registration.
The following day, Nov. 17, Wards 10 Best UX winners will be celebrated.
Ford F-150’s Interior Infused With Luxury
The level of luxury in the ’21 Ford F-150, a Wards 10 Best Interiors winner, combines with the latest technology, practicality and a brilliant fold-out work surface that transforms the center console for lunch, signing documents or firing up the laptop.
Jim Irwin | Oct 15, 2021
The 2021 Wards 10 Best Interiors have been revealed in random, non-alphabetical order one per day since Oct. 4. This is the 10th winner profile. Winners will receive their trophies Nov. 16 during Automotive TechWeek in Novi, MI.
“Want to see a beautiful luxury car that can tow 14,000 lbs. (6,350 kg)? Look inside the new Ford F-150.”
Related: From Roof to Rim, Redesigned Ford F-150 Is Sensational
The F-150 is a pickup, of course, but the 2021 model’s level of refinement like that seen in high-end passenger cars struck a chord with Wards 10 Best Interiors judge Drew Winter. It’s the first F-150 to win Best Interiors honors since the ’15 King Ranch Edition.
That luxury combines with the latest technology, practicality and what Ford calls “all-new features to improve customer productivity.”
Case in point: The optional Interior Work Surface which, after tucking the shift lever into the console with the push of a button, unfolds to provide a work surface for grabbing a meal, signing documents or firing up a 15-in. (38-cm) laptop.
And you don’t even have to leave your truck after a day of work if you choose the optional front-row seats that fold flat for sleeping – and perhaps stargazing through the panoramic moonroof.
Soft surfaces contrast with textured metal trim inside the 14th-generation F-150, which also has a leather-wrapped steering wheel, carbon-fiber accents and chunky, knurled knobs on the dash.
“This has a well-tailored look to me,” judge Dave Zoia observes. He also appreciates the color combination of the Admiral Blue leather seats and trim accented by soft gray throughout.
Tom Murphy
The 4x4 SuperCrew, Limited Edition PowerBoost hybrid model Wards judges tested included an all-new 12-in. (30-cm) center screen allowing customers to control multiple functions simultaneously, including navigation, music or truck features.
Ford says it went with the landscape horizontal orientation of the center screen because it enables quick access to loads of digital information while allowing room for physical audio and climate-control buttons underneath.
The combination of touchscreen and hard knobs (pictured above, left) “should be a template for all vehicles, not just big trucks, to ease the driver’s ability to readily make changes to often-used functions – temperature, fan, volume and tuning,” judge Bob Gritzinger writes on his scoresheet.
The all-new SYNC 4 infotainment system is standard, offering voice control, real-time mapping and customizable information on demand. There’s wireless smartphone charging, too.
The F-150 earned high marks for basic comfort, with judge Christie Schweinsberg writing: “Running boards make for easy entry and exit from front and back. Giant legroom in second row helps with ingress/egress from there.”
Adds Gritzinger: “I think the collapsible cargo box under the rear seat should be standard equipment in every truck. “Handy for all kinds of gear you want to keep out of sight.”
The F-150 we tested stickered at $79,145, which “is cheap by some pickup standards,” Zoia notes.
To Schweinsberg, meanwhile, “$79,145 is steep, but I think Limited grade is pretty swank.”
Tom Murphy
Storage bin under second-row F-150 seats can be locked.
It’s All About Utility on Wards 10 Best Interiors List
Seven winning utility vehicles demonstrate how automakers are focusing intently on the popular CUV and SUV segments, while two sedans and a fullsize pickup round out the list of this year’s winners.
Tom Murphy | Oct 15, 2021
The path to success for automakers today in the U.S. market must include a compelling car-based cross/utility vehicle.
Sales data collected by Wards Intelligence for the ’21 model year that just ended Sept. 30 confirms it: 45.3% of vehicles sold were CUVs, up nearly three percentage points from the prior year. Cars accounted for 22.8% of sales, compared with 18.2% for all pickups, 9.1% for all body-on-frame SUVs and 4.6% for vans.
So, is it any wonder that seven of the 2021 Wards 10 Best Interiors winners are utility vehicles? Clearly, automakers are unleashing some of their best interior designers on these segments where volume is flourishing and money is to be made.
We’ve been identifying each winner over the past two weeks in non-alphabetical order, and today the list is complete as the Ford F-150 shines in the winners’ spotlight.
The 2021 Wards 10 Best Interiors are:
- Bentley Bentayga Speed
- Ford F-150
- Ford Mustang Mach-E
- GMC Yukon Denali XL
- Honda Civic
- Hyundai Tucson
- Jeep Grand Cherokee L
- Land Rover Defender
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- Mitsubishi Outlander
Years ago, when conventional cars ruled the market, even they were body-on-frame, but unibody construction eventually took over most segments to reduce weight and improve ride quality.
That gradual transition brings us to today’s market, where CUVs, SUVs and even some pickup trucks are as comfortable, stylish and technology-packed as many luxury cars – and of course they hold the upper hand in roominess and cargo capacity.
That’s not to say traditional cars are sadly overlooked. The S-Class continues to represent the pinnacle of luxury interior design, and the latest Civic cabin remains what it’s always been: handsome, upscale and a terrific value with impeccable fit-and-finish.
We evaluated 33 vehicles this past summer, and to be eligible an interior must be all-new or significantly improved from the prior year.
We score based on materials, comfort, ergonomics, safety, fit-and-finish and, most importantly, aesthetics and design harmony. There’s no price cap but value certainly is a factor.
Part of our scoring also is dedicated to driver information – how user-friendly is the infotainment system?
But that segment of vehicle development has exploded in recent years, keeping pace with consumer-electronics trends tied to connectivity, navigation, voice control and a customized experience behind the wheel.
Its because of this that we split off a third competition dedicated to the user experience. We launched Wards 10 Best UX in 2016, and this year’s nominees were evaluated at the same time we scored 10 Best Interiors vehicles.
WardsAuto will begin naming the 2021 Wards 10 Best UX winners on Thursday, Oct. 21, one day at a time in non-alphabetical order.
Wards 10 Best Interiors winners will be honored in a Nov. 16 ceremony during our Automotive Tech Week, to be held at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, MI.
Click here for conference information and registration.
The following day, Nov. 17, Wards 10 Best UX winners will be celebrated.
Ford F-150’s Interior Infused With Luxury
The level of luxury in the ’21 Ford F-150, a Wards 10 Best Interiors winner, combines with the latest technology, practicality and a brilliant fold-out work surface that transforms the center console for lunch, signing documents or firing up the laptop.
Jim Irwin | Oct 15, 2021
The 2021 Wards 10 Best Interiors have been revealed in random, non-alphabetical order one per day since Oct. 4. This is the 10th winner profile. Winners will receive their trophies Nov. 16 during Automotive TechWeek in Novi, MI.
“Want to see a beautiful luxury car that can tow 14,000 lbs. (6,350 kg)? Look inside the new Ford F-150.”
Related: From Roof to Rim, Redesigned Ford F-150 Is Sensational
The F-150 is a pickup, of course, but the 2021 model’s level of refinement like that seen in high-end passenger cars struck a chord with Wards 10 Best Interiors judge Drew Winter. It’s the first F-150 to win Best Interiors honors since the ’15 King Ranch Edition.
Case in point: The optional Interior Work Surface which, after tucking the shift lever into the console with the push of a button, unfolds to provide a work surface for grabbing a meal, signing documents or firing up a 15-in. (38-cm) laptop.
And you don’t even have to leave your truck after a day of work if you choose the optional front-row seats that fold flat for sleeping – and perhaps stargazing through the panoramic moonroof.
Soft surfaces contrast with textured metal trim inside the 14th-generation F-150, which also has a leather-wrapped steering wheel, carbon-fiber accents and chunky, knurled knobs on the dash.
“This has a well-tailored look to me,” judge Dave Zoia observes. He also appreciates the color combination of the Admiral Blue leather seats and trim accented by soft gray throughout.
Tom Murphy
The 4x4 SuperCrew, Limited Edition PowerBoost hybrid model Wards judges tested included an all-new 12-in. (30-cm) center screen allowing customers to control multiple functions simultaneously, including navigation, music or truck features.
Ford says it went with the landscape horizontal orientation of the center screen because it enables quick access to loads of digital information while allowing room for physical audio and climate-control buttons underneath.
The combination of touchscreen and hard knobs (pictured above, left) “should be a template for all vehicles, not just big trucks, to ease the driver’s ability to readily make changes to often-used functions – temperature, fan, volume and tuning,” judge Bob Gritzinger writes on his scoresheet.
The all-new SYNC 4 infotainment system is standard, offering voice control, real-time mapping and customizable information on demand. There’s wireless smartphone charging, too.
The F-150 earned high marks for basic comfort, with judge Christie Schweinsberg writing: “Running boards make for easy entry and exit from front and back. Giant legroom in second row helps with ingress/egress from there.”
Adds Gritzinger: “I think the collapsible cargo box under the rear seat should be standard equipment in every truck. “Handy for all kinds of gear you want to keep out of sight.”
The F-150 we tested stickered at $79,145, which “is cheap by some pickup standards,” Zoia notes.
To Schweinsberg, meanwhile, “$79,145 is steep, but I think Limited grade is pretty swank.”
Tom Murphy
Storage bin under second-row F-150 seats can be locked.
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