Remarkable observation: old-fashioned, uncompromising comfort is allowed again. Were not comfortable cars built until recently? Certainly, but in recent years they were almost without exception developed according to what I will just call the ‘German model’. So comfortable in the way invented by BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Luxurious, but with a good dose of sturdiness, seats that envelop you like a glove and an interior that is emphatically built around the driver.
That is very different from what was built in the US in the second half of the last century, just to name a few. We Europeans like to joke about those American ‘landyachts’, but since purchasing a Lincoln Town Car I know what we had to miss. That car pampers you in a way that can only be found on this side of the ocean at Rolls-Royce, albeit of course on a completely different level. The difference with a Mercedes? Well, the Lincoln is literally all about comfort and nothing at all about dynamics. The seats offer no lateral support, the steering has no information and in the interior resembles a bright, open living room more than with the dark cocoon that often is a modern car interior. This makes my car from 2004 a relic of times long gone, because modern Lincolns are also increasingly designed after the ‘German model’.
Lately, however, I’ve noticed a return of this ‘American’ comfort. The best example: the Hyundai Ioniq 5. As with the Americans of yesteryear, the dashboard here is drawn along one straight line and is quite symmetrical. A center console is missing and the floor is flat, so that you can move from the left to the right seat without much effort. The seats themselves are spacious, soft and, in the most expensive version, even have a reclining position that Lincoln and Cadillac undoubtedly would have preferred themselves. Even on the road, the comparison remains intact. No, comfort is not uncompromising in this regard. However, the Ioniq 5 is a car that explicitly aims for comfort in a refreshingly honest way, and therefore leaves some dynamics behind compared to brother Kia EV6. The Hyundai is not about tension, but about as much relaxation as possible. Just like before!
The electric Hyundai does not stand alone. I notice similar traits with the Nissan Ariya and even the small Honda E falls into this category as far as I’m concerned. Even in Germany, the living room theme has caught on, although the word ‘lounge’ might suit the interior of the BMW iX even better. Also noteworthy: this BMW, the Nissan, the Hyundai, the Honda and my Lincoln all have a two-spoke steering wheel. That has only recently been okay again, because until recently, only a three-spoke copy was considered sporty enough.
The fact that the mobile living room is popular again is, of course, mainly because car manufacturers want us to get used to a car that is increasingly independent. After all, if (if!) the car will eventually go through traffic autonomously, it will actually be little more than such a living room. I personally do not welcome that future, but cars with a higher Lincoln content could be a bit more in my opinion. This makes a car ride really a bit of relaxation, and that is quite nice in these troubled times.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl