In the third annual WardsAuto Interiors Student Design Competition, young stylists from Detroit’s College for Creative Studies were challenged with creating an interior for a small, practical CUV for the year 2025.

The new attitude marks a sharp change in direction for Toyota, whose lean manufacturing principles and bulletproof quality made it an industry leader over the last two decades and the envy of rivals.

Simplicity in design and lack of noise, both audible and visual, will define the luxury interiors of tomorrow, panelists say.

Using LIN, designers can achieve more uniformity with their lighting designs. Ambient lighting needs to fit a particular interior color, as some lighting schemes may be too intense in a beige interior but just right for a cabin shaded black.

Even though auto makers are designing new, advanced infotainment systems, they’ve been forced to work within the confines of conventional interior architectures. That could be about to change, insiders say.