Perceived quality is a fusion of multiple disciplines designed to ensure potential buyers resonate as intended wit designs. The field touches all manner of functions—not only fit and finish but materials, surfacing, branding, UX, haptics, and more.
Experts in this area tend to view themselves as a fusion of designers and engineers (with some indeed having worked in both roles) helping wider teams find solutions that, in very simplistic terms, make cars feel on brand, good value for money and that they are capable of the job they are intended to do.
For example, a luxury brand will very much focus on reducing unwanted rattles, textures and even smells in the interior. An off-road utility vehicle will need to purvey a sense of durability, strength and ruggedness—things will not break after a rough trail.
Refining the perceived quality of a sports car might require some blend of both worlds – adept at handling fast corners but also looking and feeling good while doing so. There are some more generic considerations that tend to span all models. For example, shutlines should be uniform across thousands of models (same with paint finishes) and components about the cabin should not rattle or buzz loudly, if at all.
Exterior designers must pay attention to how the silhouette and surfacing of their car resonate with the market, too. “Premium” can mean different things to different people, and certain colors or shapes may have unwanted connotations. More recently, the trend for premiumization has meant that virtually all models carry an expectation of quality inside and out, leaving less room for error than before.
The electric vehicle movement has also had an impact, particularly on the cabin, which is now much quieter without the noise of a combustion engine and its associated components. Passengers will be far more aware of those little annoyances that may previously have been hidden, and this is amplified further in vehicles where there is no driver at all.
Autonomous vehicles allow greater flexibility and freedom in the cabin, but with eyes no longer required on the road, that places focus on the rest of the interior. There is no hiding from poor finishes or unsightly materials, and the overall user experience and integration of digital features becomes critical. Indeed, UX is very much a consideration for today’s perceived quality specialists.
Touchscreens must be responsive, easy to use while on the move and generally built trust with the driver or passenger. Laggy systems, core functions hidden behind multiple menus and vague icons should all be avoided. Things may get even more complex if screens continue to occupy ever more real estate in the cabin.
Now, these are issues for which dedicated UX experts are already working on, but perceived quality teams are always in the loop to ensure they tie in with the bigger picture. So too on the materials front, where a new raft of sustainable alternatives are being brought to market, each looking to bring equal or better quality with improved environmental credentials.
