One of my many pet peeves in a vehicle is cheep seating surfaces. Just because a vehicle doesn't cost $60K doesn't mean you have to opt for ugly. Over the years I've seen some nightmares emerge on cloth seating surfaces from the bizarro patterns on early Saturn seats to the disturbing prancing ponies on recent Mustangs. I mean, did they actually look at what they were doing before they set out to make hundreds of thousands of vehicles in that mold? Jeesh.
Luckily, it seems a simpler, sleeker trend is starting to emerge. Take the Nissan Versa test car. Base price for this vehicle is $16,905. Yet the seating surface is a sporty checked pattern. It's not velvet smooth, but it doesn't make me squint and scream: "My eyes! My eyes!" Other manufacturers also seem to be taking the hint as your Chevrolet Aveos, Toyota Yarises and Honda Fits have simpler, smoother patterns as well. Thank you!
The only example I've seen where bucking the simple trend works is in the all-new Kia Soul. The Houndstooth pattern especially could have gone horribly wrong. But rather than slather that print over the whole seat, it simply serves as a topper and a nice finishing touch.
I don't particularly need leather seats in a vehicle, but if it's a choice between a pattern that looks like Tinkerbell threw up and leather, well, in this economic climate, I might just go buy different car.
So, all I ask is that you interior vehicle designers out there think forward just a little bit. What looks nice in a small swatch isn't always the same in large doses.
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