Cars More Comfortable than Home… ‘That Is the Magic of Car Seats’

Chosun Ilbo by Choi Won-suk. Published on October 26, 2012.

As customers increasingly put more stress on the interior of cars, car seats have grown in importance in the auto industry. Korean automakers, such as Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, also began to make every effort to develop high-end car seats that can be on a par with those of Europe’s premium sedans

◇Seats, second- most expensive part after engine

Seats are the second-most expensive part in a car after the engine. In the case of a premium car, the seats are more expensive than the engine. The high-end seats on the Hyundai Equus are estimated to cost 4 million won.

Materials for seats are chosen selectively, and seats should not be too soft with an emphasis on comfort. “Good seats should not be too hard but should hold well the bodies of the occupants. That is the skill,” said an industry official.

◇ Critical for safety

Seats are critical for car safety. They have to hold the occupants firmly, but at the same time, the seat structure have to be designed to minimize the impact of a crash on the occupants.

◇To be lighter, cheaper

Seats are important in reducing car weight, which is the main topic in the auto industry. A seat adopting the latest weight reduction technology is 4 to 5 kg lighter than the previous seat.

Automakers are trying to lower costs and apply better technologies to more cars by developing common seat structure that is compatible with different cars.