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Functionality alone is no longer sufficient to sell cars. Interiors are set to become the new battleground where customers will be won and lost. Those manufacturers that are successful will be the ones that manage to embody the desires and emotions of their customers in the vehicle design and execution. The choice of materials and their inherent tactile qualities can be a powerful way of connecting with the customer and enhancing a vehicle’s appeal and brand perception. This document describes how the International Automotive Research Centre (IARC) at The University of Warwick has been working with Jaguar Land Rover, researching current knowledge and techniques relevant to Affective Design, tactility and the automotive NPI process to address these challenges.

With the quality of mainstream automobiles improving considerably over the past decade, and continuing to do so, it is becoming more difficult for the premium automotive manufacturers to differentiate their products from their less expensive competitors. The customers' perception of quality, often referred to within the industry as craftsmanship, is considered an important differentiator for premium brands and a crucial component of competitiveness [1]. Whilst vehicle design is fundamental to this customer-perceived quality, the delivery of the design is also critical and without the manufacturing capability to deliver the craftsmanship targets set, the New Product Introduction (NPI) process is flawed. This research investigates the roles of the vehicle manufacturer and supplier in the delivery of a premium vehicle, the factors that influence component and whole vehicle maturation, and the tools and processes, both current and in development, available to OEM and supplier.