VOLVO WINS THE DOUBLE AT 2015 AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS EXPO AWARDS
- Volvo’s Robin Page wins Interior Designer of the Year, with Volvo design team clinching Interior Design of the Year, Production Vehicle for the new XC90
- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Johnson Controls and Faurecia other winners at fifth annual event
- Winners announced at Automotive Interiors Expo 2015, Stuttgart Messe
16 June 2015
The winners of the Automotive Interiors Expo Awards 2015 have been announced, with wins for Volvo, Johnson Controls, Faurecia, Mercedez-Benz, and BMW.
Hosted at Automotive Interiors Expo 2015 in Stuttgart, the Automotive Interiors Expo Awards are designed to honour the world’s finest designers, innovations and products, championing all aspects of automotive interior excellence and innovation.
With a judging panel boasting some of the world’s leading automotive journalists, the Automotive Interiors Expo Awards are now in their fifth year, and continue to cement their place as one of the most sought-after accolades in the automotive industry.
For his outstanding work on the XC90, Robin Page, Volvo’s vice president of interior design, received the accolade of Interior Designer of the Year. In a highly competitive field, Page’s work was recognised as helping to build the Swedish marque’s lux credentials, featuring a virtually button-free, high-tech touchscreen control console that represents an entirely new way for drivers to control their cars.
Judges also awarded points for Page’s classic interior work on the executive XC90, combining soft leather and wood with handcrafted details including a gear lever made of crystal glass. The Volvo XC90 also won the Interior Design of the Year – Production Vehicle category, beating off a strong field including the Jaguar XE, Lexus NX, Renault Espace, Hyundai i20 and the Mercedes-AMG GT.
The Supplier of the Year award saw Johnson Controls scoop the top prize for its development of the pioneering CAMISMA seat prototype, designed to be more than 40% lighter than conventionally manufactured seat structures, without compromising safety or comfort. Judges also valued the company’s new fabric joint venture in China and its increased sales year on year. Johnson Controls beat off stiff competition from Visteon, as well as Valeo, Magna International and Bosch in this hotly contested category.
BMW won the Interior Innovation of the Year – Production Vehicle award for the instrument cluster on the BMW i8, co-developed with Bosch. This design feature represents a huge leap in instrument cluster technology, thanks to its display-based design that incorporates high-performance dual-processor architecture. No mechanically moving parts are used in the cluster, lending to the futuristic design of the i8’s cockpit.
In a ceremony honouring innovation, two awards categories focused on concept car design and innovation across the interiors sector. The Interior Design of the Year – Concept Vehicle saw the futuristic Mercedes-Benz F 015 take top honours in a category that saw the Audi Prologue, Lexus LF-SA, Nissan Sway, Bentley EXP10 Speed 6 and the Renault Eolab also shortlisted.
The interior of the F 015 from Mercedes-Benz is a vision of the future of autonomous driving: a mobile living space crafted out of open-grain walnut, glass, ice-white nappa leather and aluminium, featuring a variable seating system, with four rotating lounge chairs that allow a face-to-face seat configuration.
Faurecia picked up the final award of the evening, Concept Interior Innovation of the Year, for its lightweight seats in the Renault Eolab concept. In a car devoted to lightweight innovation, Faurecia’s pioneering work made the Eolab’s seats not only radically lighter, but also slimmer in their design, freeing-up extra room for rear passengers. Faurecia’s Cover Carving technology shaves 40% off the weight of the seat’s shell, while providing rear passengers with 3cm of extra room.
For more information about the Automotive Interiors Expo Awards 2015, click here
Peter Haynes, PR director, UKIP Media & Events: peter.haynes@ukipme.com
Amy Miller, account manager, UKIP Media & Events: amy.miller@ukipme.com