Inside Frankfurt

The world's largest automotive industry gathering has something for everyone: engineers searching for new technology (and new jobs), designers seeking inspiration and hobbyists craving model cars.

Not to be overlooked at the Frankfurt Motor Show are vehicle interiors, which are increasingly drawing the attention of vehicle development teams for their ability to seal the deal — or scrap it.

Chrysler LLC steps from the shadow of former parent DaimlerChrysler AG to premier the '09 Dodge Journey cross/utility vehicle that will serve as the cornerstone for the U.S. auto maker's aggressive push into international markets.

The Journey, which goes on sale in the U.S. in early 2008, offers space to accommodate seven passengers with versatility and flexibility.

“It has the practicality of a minivan, the capability of an SUV and the efficiency of a passenger car,” says Mike Manley, executive vice president-international, sales marketing and business development.

True to its name, the '09 Dodge Journey offers many minivan-like innovations, such as a 10.8 in. × 8.8 in. (27.3 cm × 22.2 cm) storage bin underneath a hinged front-seat cushion. There are more in-floor bins with removable liners located behind the first row that can accommodate 12, 12-oz. beverage cans and ice.

And although the Journey leverages the same global D platform that underpins the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger midsize sedans, the chassis is stretched 4.9 ins. (12.4 cm) to offer optional third-row seating not found on most vehicles its size.

Even with the third row, the CUV remains smaller than the Chrysler 300 sedan.

Also on the functionality front, Mini debuts a production version of its new Clubman, a stretch version of the little coupe that captured American hearts when it arrived in 2001.

The Clubman launches this fall with a rear-hinged second door on the passenger side of the vehicle for easier access to the back seat. It is 9.4 ins. (24 cm) longer than the current Mini, adding 3.1 ins. (8 cm) to the wheelbase and rear legroom.

There was considerable debate about which side of the vehicle would receive the “suicide door.”

In right-hand-drive regions such as the U.K. and Australia, the extra door is on the same side as the driver — a nice feature unless you are a parent concerned about a child exiting the vehicle onto the street.

In left-hand-drive markets such as the U.S. and most of Europe, the driver must walk around the vehicle to close the passenger-side door when a child climbs into the back seat. The suicide door must close first before the primary passenger door can close.

Another small and sporty number arriving on stage in Frankfurt was Ford Motor Co.'s Verve concept, an eye-catching hatchback.

A dramatic, sloping dashboard underscores the contrasting design elements of a black interior punctuated by instrumentation backlit in hot orange, much like glowing embers.

Expect to see a production version in the U.S. in the coming years, as Ford says the Verve serves as the basis for the auto maker's much-anticipated global B-car. The all-new small cars are set to bow globally between 2008 and 2010.

The Verve was designed by a team from Ford's studios in Dunton, U.K., and Cologne, Germany.

On the luxury front, DaimlerChrysler AG premiers the F700 research vehicle, an eco-friendly concept car that hints ever so slightly at the next-generation Mercedes S-Class sedan.

Shaped with fish in mind, the F700 design provides for a roomy interior. At 204 ins. (518 cm), the F700 is shorter than the current long-wheelbase S-Class.

In an innovative approach to seating, the F700 features a reverse seat that folds out for the right-rear passenger to more effectively accommodate rest or conversation with a neighboring passenger.

The right-rear passenger door also gets hinged at the rear, which eases ingress and egress. When not in use (the car cannot accommodate a front passenger when the seat is in the reverse position), the rear area carries four adults comfortably.

Mercedes competitor Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota Motor Corp., tweaks the interior (as well as exterior styling) of its GS mid-luxury sedan for '08.

In the U.S., where the car debuted in 2005 as an '06 model, sales have been disappointing, so Toyota bosses figure some improvements are necessary.

The GS instrument panel is redesigned, and a new interior trim combination — light gray leather with dark gray bird's eye maple trim — is added to carryover choices of cashmere leather with brown bird's eye maple trim or black leather with dark walnut trim.

Also new is a brushed aluminum shift plate over the center console and turn signals that are incorporated into the side mirrors.

And what German auto show would be complete without heralding the arrival of a new interior from Audi AG, the luxury auto maker that has built its brand equity on stylish, high-quality and comfortable passenger compartments?

The eighth-generation A4 is scheduled to arrive in European showrooms in November and will debut in the U.S. in 2008.

The new A4 provides ample space for occupants, thanks to a longer wheelbase. Rear knee room has gone up by 1.4 ins. (3.5 cm) to 35.7 ins. (90.6 cm). Headroom and width at shoulder height also have gone up. An optional lighting package adds luster to the interior.

Also available in the new A4 are “Climatic Comfort” cooled seats upholstered in perforated leather. Small fans with six speed settings ventilate the seat cushion and seat back.
— with reporting by James M. Amend, Eric Mayne, Tom Murphy, Byron Pope and Christie Schweinsberg

New Rule Seeks to Improve Protection in Side-Impact Crashes

Auto makers must phase in improved side-impact crash protection that meets federal standards beginning in 2009, the government says in a newly adopted rule.

The new standard, says U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, will require auto makers for the first time to provide head protection in side-impact crashes, as well as enhance other protections for passengers in such crashes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. will begin using a dummy representing a small adult female in side-impact performance testing, and plans to also add a new and more technically advanced dummy representing a male of average height.

NHTSA does not require specific technologies to meet the new standard, but instead says it expects auto makers to meet the requirement with various types of innovative head, chest and pelvis protection systems, such as side curtain air bags and thorax air bags.

NHTSA estimates the new standard could save 300 lives and prevent 400 serious injuries annually. Side impacts account for 28% of all fatalities, the agency says.
— Ward's Staff