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GM Interiors Receive More Focus

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Ed Welburn speaks on GM Interiors

Ed Welburn

A few years ago, GM interiors were nothing to speak of. In fact, according to Automotive News, General Motors global design chief, Ed Welburn, reported that GM interiors were the first things to be downgraded if a vehicle came in over budget.

“The best way to get the thing right financially was to take from the interior,” Welburn said yesterday at a WardsAuto Interiors Conference. “You can’t strip the fenders off the thing. That is not the case now.”

Welburn himself admitted that just a few years back, “GM was well behind the competition. We checked all the boxes. Interiors were well equipped and functional. They had everything but charm. The interior was not a warm, inviting environment.”

But that policy has changed. General Motors now places a greater emphasis on the interiors. Welburn reported that GM’s leadership values the interiors now and that it is apparent in the product lineup. Take, for example, the Cadillac ELR or especially the Corvette Stingray, which was included on Ward’s 10 Best Interiors list this year.

GM interiors: The interior of the 2014 Corvette Stingray

The interior of the 2014 Corvette Stingray

We expect interiors of GM cars to continue to improve over the next several years.