How ever nice a car is to look at, you will actually spend most of your time inside it, so when looking for a new vehicle it’s always worth checking how comfortable and practical the cabin is.
Now, our list may not include the most affordable cars in the world, but it shows just how important interior design is to making a car desirable.
Here are our favourites from this year…
Bugatti Chiron
The 263mph hypercar is desirable because of its performance alone, but Bugatti wanted to ensure that you could enjoy getting to ridiculous speeds in supreme comfort. If the exterior is a work of art, so is the interior, as each of the sold-out units come with a custom-made cabin specified to each customer’s preference. The one shown above was the first model delivered to the United States and every material you look at is of the highest quality – as you would expect from a car worth more than £2 million.
Volvo XC40
This is one of the cheapest cars on our list, showing that you don’t have to spend a crazy amount of money to get a car with a nice interior. The XC40 was rearranged compared to other Volvo models to maximise storage space and make the most of the SUV’s compact proportions. It looks simple, is easy to use and comes in a range of bright colours. The lava orange trim seen in the photo is one of the excellent interior colour choices and works well with the range of premium cloth and leather upholstery options.
Rolls-Royce Phantom
When you think Rolls Royce, you instantly think excellent quality, and with the newest Phantom you get much more of the same. It looks more like a private jet cabin than a car to be honest, and with a wide range of leather colour choices it can be as mad or as civilised as you like. You can even have artwork installed in the dashboard if you really want to, and that makes the hyper-premium car possibly the most extremely excessive, yet excellent vehicles on the road.
Range Rover Velar
Land Rover took a risk with this new interior setup, but it’s been so good they’ve put it into the newly-refreshed Range Rover. The Velar comes with a dual-touchscreen layout that streamlines the central console and gives the model a much more modern look, and to give credit where it’s due, it works perfectly. Expect to see a similar layout in future Land Rover models, as it does away with most buttons and makes it a much easier console to use.
Bentley Continental GT
Like Rolls Royce, Bentley is a by-word for quality and with the latest version of the superb Continental GT, the British manufacturer has nailed it yet again. As well as a wide selection of excellent materials to trim the cabin with, it also comes with the latest technology – and even has a triple-sided scrolling dashboard element. It shows either a set of clocks, the infotainment system or it blends in with the rest of the dash. The Conti’s interior is another masterpiece and is arguably the best this year.
VW Polo
Colourful, simple, good-looking. Volkswagen has ticked all the boxes with the new Polo, and it’s sure to be a smash-hit. In most of the trim levels, the Polo is stylish and very well-finished, with the GTI, R-Design and Beats versions being the stand-out options. Although not all Volkswagens thrill the senses, as hatchbacks go the Polo has been done brilliantly. With a central touchscreen, virtual display in the instrument binnacle and coloured dash, the Polo is the most affordable car on this list and still comes with a great range of technology.
Audi A8
The Audi A8’s new look was only revealed a couple of months ago, but it has already made an impression. There is an excellent trim finish on every model, airline-style seats in the back and a near-buttonless dashboard and central console. Premium materials and excellent technologies are paired beautifully, and with Audis known for having luxurious levels of comfort, this new A8 has continued the trend beautifully.
Peugeot 3008
The i-Cockpit concept is somewhat of a modern design classic, and with the smaller, sportier steering wheel and excellent infotainment displays the 3008 has really excelled on the design front this year. With a mixture of leather and fabric upholstery, Peugeot has cleverly moulded the 3008 into a desirable and advanced SUV that is surprisingly affordable considering the levels of premium features. It is well worth looking at as an SUV option, as it drives well too.
BMW 5 Series
A high-quality finish is expected from BMW models and the latest 5 Series is no different. With wood or metal dashboard trims paired with a range of excellent seat upholsteries, the mid-size saloon is one of the nicest executive models this year. With plenty of clear-to-read displays, reasonably simple controls and tastefully-finished designs, the 5 Series in saloon or estate guise is an excellent choice, just on its interior alone.
Porsche Panamera
Porsche’s big saloon has a lot of things going for it. Even though the exterior looks may not be to everyone’s liking, the Panamera has one of the most advanced interiors on the market with a dual-touchscreen central console and a beautifully-simple finish that many manufacturers can envy. Pair that with a dynamic feel and sporty interior options, the Panamera could be one of the best road cars right now, and with the model able to carry four people in supreme comfort the newest Panamera is a difficult car to ignore.
