Let's talk about interiors

[SDK^]

I had the displeasure of sitting in a Polestar 4 recently as a few of my team went for them when they came onto the company car list. It certainly didn't feel like I was sat in a £64k car....

The Polestar 4 interior is pretty lush for the price - in 2025 £64k is mid-range family car price. Just above the Kia's, Skoda's, Hyundai's range
Sounds like you're one of those people stuck in 2005 car prices, expecting a Bentley interior for under £100k

 

[Jonnycoupe]

For build quality I'd take a Corolla over a Merc any day.

But no one cares what you think as you don’t buy new anyway. Corolla, when the mouth in front is a Nasher.

 

[jpaul]

CLA is starting at £45K <<< £64K Polestar 4, I'm doubting mercedes would categorise that as a bargain basement family car,
conversely chinese are masters of spending money where the customers appreciates it ... fur coat ?

the proliferation of screen real-estate though - how cheap must they be, even if the computing power is cheap ? I'd take a real leather seat instead.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Good point from the OP. I quite like the Evoque layout now after several months using it and frankly not really needing much on the screen anyway. The latter part of the thread is degenerating into the usual mumbo jumbo.

 

[Mekrel]

The Polestar 4 interior is pretty lush for the price - in 2025 £64k is mid-range family car price. Just above the Kia's, Skoda's, Hyundai's range
Sounds like you're one of those people stuck in 2005 car prices, expecting a Bentley interior for under £100k

I'm hardly expecting Bentley interiors for £64k...

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some interior design and quality considering the price inflation of vehicles in recent years.

In all honesty, if this is the fruit of a design team's labour then perhaps people have very genuine concerns about AI taking over their jobs. It's completely bland, soulless and utilitarian.

 

[Rroff]

I'm hardly expecting Bentley interiors for £64k...

There are an increasing number of cars in that kind of price bracket where cheap hard rattly plastics are creeping in on non-prominent surfaces, switches and so on using cheaper parts like you'd expect to find on a MK1 Micra, etc, not the kind of thing I'd expect on that kind of tier.

 

[Nasher]

I'm hardly expecting Bentley interiors for £64k...

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some interior design and quality considering the price inflation of vehicles in recent years.

In all honesty, if this is the fruit of a design team's labour then perhaps people have very genuine concerns about AI taking over their jobs. It's completely bland, soulless and utilitarian.

Prices have gone up massively, quality has gone down. The plastics, leathers (most being fake now and very plastic feeling) etc all went down in quality to meet eco targets and penny pinch as much as possible. There is no thought about the ergonomics either, because there isn't any. It's all just cheap stuff really, but they want top dollar for it.

You never used to get rattles on Audis, but you do now.

 

[Bear]

You never used to get rattles on Audis, but you do now.

Thats not the car but the single brain cell rattling around the skull of the typical Audi driver

 

[-westy-]

Personally prefer having a digital dash plus a decent screen for Carplay, Waze etc. Definitely feel as though I have the perfect combination in my mk7.5 Golf, plus proper buttons/controls for the important functions:

 

[Shadowness]

That looks workable. But I do love having the iDrive control in the centre console (in my BNW). Easily controllable and accessible, without the need to reach for anything.

I genuinely don't know if the screen in my car is touchscreen! I think it is, but I've never touched it. Never needed to. (and I hate fingerprints all over them)

 

[SDK^]

I'm hardly expecting Bentley interiors for £64k...

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some interior design and quality considering the price inflation of vehicles in recent years.

In all honesty, if this is the fruit of a design team's labour then perhaps people have very genuine concerns about AI taking over their jobs. It's completely bland, soulless and utilitarian.

Bland? - You can spec orange seat belts!

Remembering this is designed in Sweden, who are well known for minimalist aesthetic, emphasis on functionality, and use of natural materials, particularly light wood, and neutral colors.
Quality is up there too - there is no plastic above waist height, all stitched fabric, metal, pixel lighting behind fabric

At night the ambient lighting looks good, and can be changed based on the planets

You probably sat in a base, poverty spec £58k car

 

[Penfold101]

base, poverty spec £58k car

Welcome to modern times

 

[Conscript]

poverty spec

£58k car

Jesus Christ. Sign of the times when people think like this.

Unless it was meant to be tongue in cheek, in which case, I take it back.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

If he had the iX still he would be waxing about that too. The lack of self awareness on his own rental purchase justification is beyond incredible.

 

[Rilot]

Personally prefer having a digital dash plus a decent screen for Carplay, Waze etc. Definitely feel as though I have the perfect combination in my mk7.5 Golf, plus proper buttons/controls for the important functions:

See, that how you do digital well. Good screens, modern tech, physical switches for everything you need.

 

[SDK^]

Welcome to modern times

Welcome to 2025 car prices.

You can buy a £130k Porsche and need to add £20k+ of options to make the spec decent.

 

[Nasher]

What's even crazier is people paying extra for coloured seatbelts (looks like the only colour in that car). It's all right angles, which is likely cheaper to make.

 

[SDK^]

If he had the iX still he would be waxing about that too. The lack of self awareness on his own rental purchase justification is beyond incredible.

I don't have a Polestar 4... I still have the iX ..no intensions of getting a P4 either.

The Polestar 4 interior reviewed extremely well. Calling it low quality, bland and utilitarian is just wrong, Swedish car designers do the best interiors ! [ @Mekrel ]

 

[Jonnycoupe]

See, that how you do digital well. Good screens, modern tech, physical switches for everything you need.

That knob for the lights though - old skool

 

[Conscript]

Welcome to 2025 car prices.

You can buy a £130k Porsche and need to add £20k+ of options to make the spec decent.

No, you might need to add £20k of options to make the spec better, but I doubt very much that the base specification of a £130K car could not be described as "decent" at the very least, by anyone with any normal sense of expectation.