29 Jun 07
Rather than run screaming at the difficulty of the task, the designers started with the area over which they could have the most control, the interior. And they've done a beautiful job. They started with some bold initial sketches, with a simple dash set at an unusual angle. They showed it to the people who would have to actually build it - and they loved it.
'We had a fantastic rapport with the team pulled together to engineer this car. When they saw this interior they gave us every help to do it,' says Ryder, who's particularly proud of the interior's roominess, expensive feel, airiness and impeccable ergonomics.
He doesn't name names, but he's clearly avoided the fanciness that's characterised some recent Citroen and Renault interiors, with speedos in unconventional positions and handbrakes that operate in unexpected ways.
'We wanted a driver's car, with clear instruments, very traditional around the steering wheel and good quality mouldings.'
The large windscreen and optional glass roof were important to making the cabin feel light and airy. They in turn suggested the shapes of the pillars, and the rest of the design flowed from there. Not pretty, but even seen from a distance in a rear-view mirror it's clearly an evolution of the 307.
Job done.
