Our latest report, What is driving growth in sunroof systems in vehicles, offers an in-depth analysis of the global automotive sunroof system market, key suppliers that produce sunroofs and automakers that offer sunroofs in their vehicles. In addition, the report covers key technology trends and major challenges that the sunroof industry faces.

Our latest report on the Automotive interior market in China offers a detailed analysis of the automotive interiors market in the world’s largest vehicle market, covering key products, technology trends and key players.

This report examines the evolution of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technologies and their impact on the automotive industry, broken down into 11 vehicle domains for better understanding.

Our latest report on Next-generation seat comfort solutions offers a detailed analysis of technologies that are contributing to enhancing seating comfort in vehicles.

More than 135,000 visitors travelled to Las Vegas for CES 2024, including S&P Global Mobility analysts who have detailed all the key themes and showcases in this report.

Our latest report, titled “Supplying automotive seats — Supplier strategy” provides an overview of the strategies implemented by key seating suppliers

For long, a vehicle has been judged by its exterior design (look) and the type of powertrain (performance) that drives the vehicle. If price is not a limiting factor, a new car buyer would opt for a vehicle, which looks stunning and is powered by the best combination of engine and transmission to deliver ultimate performance. Although exterior look and performance remain important, the new generation buyers are also paying attention to the quality of interior while making new vehicle buying d...

More than half a million visitors descended upon this year’s International Mobility Show (IAA). The event played host to more than 300 world premieres and innovations. Around 750 exhibitors travelled from 38 territories, with Greater China having a large presence at the event.

Our latest report, Open sky — sunroof in cars, offers an in-depth analysis of the global automotive sunroof system market, key automakers offering sunroofs and suppliers that supply these sunroofs. In addition, the report covers key technology trends and major challenges that the sunroof industry faces.

Seats are the first touch base for drivers and passengers inside a vehicle. They play a vital role in ensuring safety and comfort for all vehicle occupants. Selecting the right material for producing seats is very important because it helps vehicle manufacturers meet their twin goals of safety and driving comfort. In addition, the right mix of seat materials helps vehicle manufacturers achieve weight reduction targets that remain critical for meeting tightening regulations in areas of fuel consu...

This year marked the 20th anniversary show for Auto Shanghai. It was held on April 18-27, 2023 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai. More than 1,400 vehicles were showcased including 300 new models. The Show was also the platform for around 100 global vehicle debuts and attracted 906,000 visitors.

Vehicle electrification has taken the automotive industry by storm. Automakers are scrambling to launch electric vehicles (EVs) to meet tightening emission reductions targets. The rising clamor around net carbon neutrality much before the deadline of 2050 is also pushing vehicle electrification. Electrification is not only impacting the powertrain, which will be used for driving vehicles in the future, but also the other aspects of vehicle manufacturing including exterior design and interior ...

Automakers are offering their new vehicles with greater connectivity and automated driving features to ensure safer and more comfortable driving and commuting experience. These two megatrends, along with electrification and shared mobility services, are set to transform how vehicles will be driven and utilized in future. Automated driving, especially Level 4 autonomous driving, has potential to transform the interior of a vehicles, including seat design and seating arrangement, which have not...

The 2023 Auto Expo's components edition was held from 12-15 January and recorded participation of over 800 companies and 115,000 visitors, while the vehicle show was held from 13-18 January and was attended by 636,743 visitors. Among the major passenger car manufacturers in India, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, Tata Motors, Toyota, BYD, and MG Motor showcased new models and concepts.

CES 2023 was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States from January 5-8, in both in-person and digital formats. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) reported that CES 2023 saw over 115,000 industry attendees, with over 3200+ companies (including 1,000 startups) exhibiting, making it the largest audited global technology event since early 2020.

The passive safety systems market outlook and regulations tracker looks into the passive safety regulations in key automotive markets and offers our forecasts for airbags and seat belts in these markets.

Seats have been an integral part of a vehicle’s interior from the very beginning. They play a key role in ensuring safety and comfort for drivers and other vehicle occupants. Although the look of automotive seats may appear to have not changed much, they have evolved over the years. Seating suppliers have added several new features in seats that contribute to increased safety and comfort for each occupant. Seats are becoming more intelligent as automakers look beyond ensuring safety and com...

Autonomous driving is one of the most disruptive technologies in the history of modern vehicles. It has the potential to transform not only how a vehicle will be driven but also utilized in the future while ensuring maximum safety and ride comfort. Autonomous driving will likely also change vehicles’ interiors like never before. The latest report on “How autonomous vehicles will change interiors” analyzes how autonomous driving, especially Level 4 and Level 5 autonomy, will offer automa...

Rising traffic in metros and cities was already forcing people to spend more hours commuting before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. The pandemic forced people to stay at home to protect themselves from the virus; however, the pre-COVID-19 normalcy will likely return as the intensity of the pandemic gradually declines, and more people are vaccinated. A vehicle is becoming the third living space after home and office for many people as they spend more time travelling. Now more than ever, new...

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 1.3 million people die, and 20–50 million people suffer nonfatal injuries every year, because of road traffic accidents globally. Passive safety systems, mainly airbags and seat belts, have played a vital role in reducing the impact of these crashes and saving several hundred thousand lives globally every year. While in recent years automakers have focused more on active safety systems that help prevent accidents from happening, the role...

CES 2022 was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States from January 5-7, with around 400,000 visitors, 744 exhibitors, and 936 speakers.

The idea of offering sunroofs in vehicles emerged around the same time automakers started equipping their vehicles with proper roofs and doors. A sliding panel to open a part of the roof system was a way to reconnect with the open sky like in the good old days, as the modern vehicle made occupants feel claustrophobic, especially on long drives. Initially, sunroofs were offered in vehicles as an aftermarket fitment. Automakers started offering sunroofs as an original equipment (OE) fitment muc...

While Apple is yet to confirm or deny exploring vehicle development under the codename Project Titan, also referred as Chromium, a vast array of automotive stakeholders and commentators have been inquisitive of what may materialize from the so-called ‘Apple Car.’ Due to the secrecy around Apple’s car venture, a lot remains unknown or unconfirmed about the project from the manufacturing location(s), potential partners, and projected volume. This research note ...

IAA Mobility 2021 took place in Munich, Germany, from September 7-12.

As vehicles become the third living space after home and office, the quality of their interior has emerged as one of the key factors for consumers when deciding on a new vehicle. Automakers are responding to this trend by intensifying their efforts to deliver greater in-vehicle experience. As a result, in today’s vehicles, seats are becoming more comfortable, featuring technologies such as lumbar support and massage systems. Interior trim parts such as instrument panels and door trim panels...

What originated as a stationary, spring, and padding-covered component—designed with the intent only to provide a surface for occupants to sit—has evolved into a comfort statement in modern vehicles. Car seats have undergone significant innovations over time, especially considering that the standard dimensions of the car seat do not allow many redesigning opportunities in modern cars today.  The early 1900s witnessed the introduction of seat adjustment, and later in the mid-1900s, op...

The Auto Shanghai 2021 was the 19th International Automobile Industry Exhibition and took place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai in China from 19-28 April 2021.

Automakers equip modern vehicles with a variety of safety systems that can be broadly divided into two groups: active or passive. While active safety systems assist a vehicle in preventing accidents, passive safety systems protect occupants of the vehicle and other road users in the event of an avoidable crash. Passive safety systems are activated after an accident occurs. Airbags, seatbelts, and whiplash protection are the most common passive safety systems in a vehicle.   Demand f...

The history of automotive interior trims can be traced back to the days of horse-drawn carriages, when wooden boards were installed in front of the coachmen to protect them from debris thrown up by horses. These wooden boards have evolved into the instrument panels of today. These panels contribute to occupant protection, maintaining noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) levels and functioning as a housing for critical interior components. Along with numerous other components, such as door panels, h...

This report highlights high-level themes represented at the show and summarizes announcement details by company with key insights for how the technologies presented impact automotive and technology strategies and industries.

Automotive fabrics (fabrics) have advanced significantly over time; once used primarily due to their durability, fabrics now contribute substantially toward enhancing cabin aesthetics. Similarly, once considered the epitome of in-cabin luxury and accessible to only a handful of affluent car buyers, leather is slowly becoming the choice for upholstery material in mainstream vehicles. The application of these materials is not limited to improving interior aesthetics but also to enhance passenge...

The focus of the 2020 Beijing Motor Show were intelligent cars and alternative drive systems. All renowned automotive manufacturers and suppliers as well as numerous startups participated in the 2020 show. 

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) utilize fully automated driving systems to operate independently without human intervention. These vehicles interact with the dynamic environment and respond to external stimuli in real time to navigate. Autonomous technologies available today require some form of human intervention for effective performance. However, attaining complete autonomy will eliminate the human element from the driving equation. Based on the level of human intervention required, the Society ...

Door trim panels refer to the lightweight structure on the inside of a vehicle’s door. While they primarily act as an interface between the occupant and the inner workings of the door, they play a significant role in the evolving car interiors. Door trim panels contribute toward occupant protection, maintaining noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels, and functioning as housing for door elements. Traditional door panels consisted of housings for the door latch and a winding mechanism t...

These presentations were given at the 2020 IHS Markit Spring Automotive Client Briefing - Europe (webinar) on  EV Charging Infrastructure and Connected Car.

Instrument panels (IP), commonly known as dashboards, were initially mounted on horse-drawn carriages. With a primary aim of protecting the coachman or driver from debris thrown up by horse’s hooves. These dashboards, as the name suggests, were plain wooden boards. While the primary function of the modern-era IP remains the same,  its functionality and integration have significantly evolved since its inception. As part of the “cockpit module”,  the IP houses numerous components, ...

This report highlights high-level themes represented at the show and summarizes announcement details by company with key insights for how the technologies presented impact automotive and technology strategies and industries.

The Los Angeles (LA) Auto Show is an annual car show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in late November or early December.

The theme of the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show was “Open Future” focusing on cutting edge futuristic technologies including future mobility, flying cars, next-generation personalized mobility, autonomous driving, connected vehicles, and new energy-based vehicles.

The yesteryears of the automotive component industry were governed by limited functionality and design. With minimal or no technology penetration, component development was majorly driven by the mechanical outlook that gradually paved the way for technology inroads. For instance, seating systems, which were initially designed to perform only a mundane task of seating occupants, now have a significant role in defining the cabins of tomorrow. Not only can seats perform a multitasking role, but the...

These presentations were given at the 2019 IHS Markit Fall Automotive Client Briefing in Detroit, Michigan.

The 2019 International Motor Show (IAA) took place at Frankfurt Am Main from 10–22 September 2019.

The manufacturing sector globally is on the cusp of another ‘disruption’ driven primarily by technology. The automotive industry, being no different, has been at the receiving end of the technology penetration and we are already witnessing new inroads leading to the vehicles of tomorrow. Within the automotive ecosystem, the interior space will transform tremendously when we consider autonomy as the foreseeable future, so much so that the industry is still pondering the extent of changes that...

The 2019 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) took place at Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, the US from 19–28 April 2019.

The 2019 Geneva show was majorly focused around future trends for the automotive industry and conceptual technologies—electrification of vehicles and connected mobility, driverless vehicles, packages of digital services, and transportation services.

The automotive industry has been on a progressive voyage since its inception, adapting to the various shifts in process and technology over time. From the early coachbuilding days to when Ford introduced the assembly line practice in the early 1900s for series production, the “automobile” has undergone a series of evolutions. Operating as the building blocks, automotive components have been on the transformation end during this time, adapting to new technologies as well as design and functio...

The 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) took place at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan, United States from 12-27 January 2019.

The annual CES continues to host the world’s automotive innovators to highlight the most cutting-edge technologies the industry can offer.

The Los Angeles (LA) Auto Show is an annual car show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in late November or early December.

When it comes to manufacturing, the automotive industry is one of the prime examples of a sophisticated production network simplified to perform complex tasks to build quality products for consumers. As one of the early adopters of innovative production processes, such as the acclaimed “assembly line” process introduced by Ford in the early 1900s for series production, automotive production has scaled new heights over time. To sustain vehicle quality when delivered to the consumers, it is im...

Once considered to be the epitome of in-cabin luxury and accessible to only a handful of affluent car buyers, leather has come a long way as an upholstery material of choice in today’s automotive interiors. Owing to commercialization and advancement in the leather-making process, the global footprint and application of leather in automotive interiors have increased over the last several years. Not only is leather an essential part of the luxury cars of today, but it is also spreading its base ...

The Seat Adjuster Forecast describes the tier-1 supplier of the seat adjuster for longitudinal (backwards-forwards) adjustment of the front and rear seats (if applicable), split into manual and power adjusters. The installation volume reflects the number of adjuster sets per seat position (e.g., one for driver or passenger seat; and two for second-row seat, if the second row is a split bench). The Seat Recliner Forecast describes the tier-1 supplier of the seat backrest recliner for the fron...