Magna reveals new seating ecosystem

Magna has revealed its vision for a flexible vehicle interior centered around seating reconfigurability and the opportunities new mobility and autonomy will offer passengers in the future.

Seat positioning will play an increasingly important role in creating a flexible space where drivers and riders can move cargo, get work done and interact with each other more freely.

The company used rich digital and in-market consumer research in China, Europe and the United States to understand the views of the consumer when it comes to their personal experiences with seats. After observing consumers in their daily lives, Magna created an innovative seating platform focused on delivering the ideal user experience. From carrying cargo and fostering conversation on a long car ride to enabling a mobile meeting space during a ride share – Magna is developing reconfigurable seating solutions and technologies to reshape the vehicle cabin.

“Magna’s seating innovation is driven by the belief that while the vehicle occupant experience will be very different with the introduction of mobility and autonomy, the functional basics will remain the same: passengers want convenience, flexibility and comfort,” said Mike Bisson, President Magna Seating. “This approach has essentially helped us create seats that adjust to the consumer, instead of having the consumer adjust to seats.”

The newly unveiled Magna concept seat ecosystem includes three specific configurations; each boasting its own set of features and technologies including:

Car Sharing

  • Cargo mode, including on power long rails and seats that slide up under the IP for maximum space
  • Flexible hardware to create various cargo options
  • Mobile app interface to preconfigure a cargo mode (min, max, left or right side)

Long Road Trip

  • Campfire seating with stadium swivel on power long rails
  • 4-way headrest sleep support
  • Pixelated vibratory / haptic massage seat for  optimal blood flow
  • In-cabin communication
  • Personal sound zones

Autonomous Ride Sharing

  • Conference seating with stadium swivel, reversible on power long rails
  • Available Seat Signal that indicates which seat is available in a ride sharing vehicle
  • 3-wide seating
  • Easy to clean trim covers
  • Personal sound zones
  • Object detection

Magna pioneered reconfigurable seating with the game-changing Stow ‘n Go® Seating and Storage System on Chrysler minivans in 2004. Most recently, Magna brought the fourth-generation Stow ‘n Go to market on the 2016 Chrysler Pacifica and was first to bring the Pitch Slide EZ EntryTM seat to the North American market on the GMC Acadia. Magna designs seats at six R&D centres and manufactures seats at 50 locations around the globe.

Image: Magna reconfigures seating to offer more cabin space and enhance user experience.



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