How Yanfeng gave the car interior a brain

Leading interiors supplier Yanfeng has repeatedly heard the same question from automakers since debuting its futuristic Experience in Motion 2020 (XiM20) concept last year: What does this have that we can put into our next-generation models? The answer is inside the recently launched XiM21, which has production-ready features such as zero-gravity seats and its proprietary Smart Cabin Controller that acts as the brain of the interior. Last year Yanfeng, the No. 19 partsmaker in Automotive News Europe's current ranking of global suppliers, decided to combine the R&D activities of its interiors, seating, electronics, safety and exteriors divisions into a new unit called Yanfeng Technology. Han Hendriks, who leads that business, recently spoke to Automotive News Europe Managing Editor Douglas A. Bolduc about what to expect inside next-generation vehicles.