Honda Vows to Return to Simpler Driver-focused Interior

Honda plans to return to its roots with simple driver-focused interiors, focusing on spacious cabins with vast visibility.

Honda’s original slogan for their US debut was “We Make It Simple.” Though the company has vast experience with some of the most technologically advanced features on both civilian streets and the race track, this wasn’t always the case. As we’re sure you’re aware, Honda first came to the US market with small, affordable cars that are simple and reliable. Now, they aim to bring back a bit of that heritage with modern car interiors moving forward. This comes at a time of all sorts of interesting Honda announcements for future plans.

In a recent video on their Youtube channel, Honda showcases a new interior design philosophy. This philosophy will shape the interior design of future Honda models. Additionally, Johnathan Norman, Creative Lead for Honda Interior Design in the U.S., gives us a quick rundown of the thinking behind this move.

“We make it simple was a legendary promise of early Honda vehicles. But, it was more than a tagline. It’s an approach to vehicle design born out of our human-centered design philosophy. The idea of a small car with a spacious feeling, a glassy greenhouse that provides a great view of the road. A simple, intuitive layout that places everything in service to the driver,” says Norman.

He explains how Honda’s roots in elegance through simplicity have been adopted by many other automakers. Honda’s original cars included a bidirectional key that unlocked the doors, gas cap and started the car. This is unlike American-made cars of the time, which typically required a key for the door and one for the ignition. While this may seem like a pretty commonplace concept to us these days, it goes to show that a straightforward and common sense concept can go a long way in the automotive industry.

A comfortable ride with a focus on the driver

“Interior design is about the people inside the vehicle, not just styling that calls attention to itself. That’s why you see a focus on thin pillars, a low cowl, and creating a big greenhouse. So, the vehicles just fade away from your view, enabling you to see the road and the environment around you,” continues Norman.

However, the intent here is not to create a bare-bones interior without modern amenities. Norman goes on to explain that Honda’s future interiors will be a perfect blend of tasteful simplicity and modernity that they’ve dubbed “Simplicity and Something.” Norman explains that future Honda interiors will retain a physical volume knob, a lag-free touch screen, and simple navigation. Thus, creating a simple and familiar feeling interior with modern amenities. Though, these features do not sacrifice the driving experience.

Overall, we are excited to see how Honda brings this concept to life. While we certainly wouldn’t call current Honda interiors bad, there’s always room for improvement. If you love old Hondas as much as we do, you’re likely just as excited about the concept of keeping their original intentions around in the modern era. Simplicity is, after all, a beautiful thing.

Photos: Honda

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Braden Carlson

Braden Carlson is an automotive enthusiast from Boise, Idaho. At 19 he quit his day job to pursue a career in automotive journalism, launching his Youtube channel in his own name. Today you can still find him producing DIY video content, reviews and writing for an amassment of automotive websites. His work is most frequently found on Rennlist, The Mustang Source and Corvette Forum. When not writing or driving, he's likely to be found covered in grease and oil undoubtedly from one of his gratuitous collection of questionable project cars.