5 Interior Auto Trends (And 5 Exterior Trends) That Are Outdated in 2023

An endless amount of trends come and go in the fashion world. Some, like mohawks, only stay for a season or two, and others, like blue jeans, stay with us for years. However, it’s not just the fashion world that has to do with seasonal trends, so does the automotive field, it’s just a little different on this side of the river.


In the last decade, we have seen astronomical changes in the automobile industry. The rise of EVs is upon us, and fun, loud sports cars that run on gasoline are starting to become a thing of the past. At least Ford gave us a look at a real 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse not so long ago, so there’s something to lift our spirits a little bit.

Related: This 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Looks Like It Eaten The S650 Mustang

All things considered, the world as we know it is changing, and that includes the automotive world we’ve been swallowed by. Here are some trends that will inevitably go out of fashion in 2023.

10/10 (Internal Trend) Piano Black

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve 4xe center console
Scott Murdock

Not long ago, all automakers nastyly plastered their interiors with this glossy black piece of plastic trim, which we’ve unanimously decided to call “piano black.” Sure, it looked extremely generous from afar, but on closer inspection, you’ll find a world of inaccuracies in it.

Scratched Piano Black Interior Trim
Posted by Imgur @ Philkotse

Just like black paint, piano black plastics are easier to scratch than a record from the ’60s. Moreover, they collected fingerprints more efficiently than an orphan picking cookies from the ground. We’re glad to see this replaced by faux carbon fiber patterns and bare metal trim pieces.

9/10 (External Trend) Door Handles

BMW Door Handle
Via: BMW Blog

We’re actually split on this trend… For as long as we can remember, there have been traditional door handles that you pull to unlock cars. As technology advanced, we came across things like keyless entry and keypads to unlock your doors.

2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line e-AWD Door Handle
Photo: Bassem Girgis

But now the door handles disappear into the hood to give the car a flatter look. While we can agree that some cars contribute to their tremendously smooth design, they can feel a bit flimsy and fragile if not designed with the proper care.

8/10 (Interior Trend) Overwhelming Indoor Lighting

4pcs Purple LED Indoor Lighting Kit
via ledunderbody.com

That’s ambient lighting, ambient lighting, the indoor lighting that everyone is obsessed with. While we don’t necessarily hate indoor lighting, we can confirm that moderation is key when it comes to this sort of thing.

Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV interior view at night
Via: Mercedes-Benz

Automakers have already taken a step back and reduced the intensity of their interior lighting. Instead of huge pools of colored light like a gentleman’s club, brands are starting to distribute the light evenly throughout the cabin. This gives the cockpit a less overwhelming and more attractive aesthetic.

7/10 (External Trend) Colored Coils

Pink Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon Cover
Source: MercedesBlog

Not so long ago, owning a shiny, eye-catching vehicle showed your importance. These days all this acknowledges your arrogance and lack of humility.

Bentley Continental
Via: YouTube @ Pro Resolutions Vote

Celebrities attended the events with pink, chrome and even gold-plated cars to attract attention. Fortunately, most attention seekers realized they were making a fool of themselves and flipped the “look at me” counter.

6/10 (Internal Trend) Analog Buttons and Dials

Bradley Hasemeyer“”>

2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate infotainment system
Via: Bradley Hasemeyer

This is an interior design option that we are sorry to see abandoning us. We never thought the day would come when cars would no longer have physical buttons and dials to toggle things like the radio or the climate system, but here we are.

Center display on Tesla Model S Plaid.
Via: Tesla

Tesla is by far the biggest culprit. They threw aside all their physical controls and transferred them to the complex infotainment screen that needed a 13-year-old to function properly. Sometimes newer doesn’t mean better.

Related: A Closer Look at the Ugly Interior of the 1986 Oldsmobile Incas

5/10 (External Trend) Extreme Camber

crashed Lexus
Via: Posture Nation

With the right mindset, camber can actually improve your vehicle’s appearance and handling characteristics. However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and in this case, extreme bombe is a perfect example of that.

Nissan crashes 350Z
Via: Nissan Z Forum

Instead of just crashing your car into the ground, some “stance kids” love the look of a flattened car. We’re happy to report that the mist that’s clouding everyone’s eyes is finally starting to dissipate, and they’re finally realizing how ridiculous this trend actually is.

4/10 (Internal Trend) Standard Features

2022 BMW X6 M Front Bucket Heated Power Seats
via: BMW

Let’s address the elephant in the room, BMW. Earlier this year, rumors started circulating about BMW’s application for subscription-based services that give you access to some of your car’s features, such as heated seats that are pre-installed but deactivated.

2023 Audi S3 MMI Infotainment Display
Jake Stumph’s photo

Unfortunately, this is most likely just the beginning. Soon other automakers will join the bandwagon and start equipping their cars with huge features locked behind a paywall…

Related: How Advanced Are the Best Autonomous Driving Vehicles Today?

3/10 (External Trend) Darkened Everything

Blacked out Tesla Model 3
Via: Pimp My EV

We all look lustfully at a clean, rough black sports car. Once again, there is a fine line between a crashed car and an unidentifiable ugly black mark. Take for example this BMW M4 we have below.

Blacked out BMW M4
Source: BIMERPOST.com

If the owner had decided to leave the taillights as is, this Beemer would have been perfect. Not only is it a safety hazard as it reduces the visibility of the brake lights, it’s also pretty ugly if you ask us.

2/10 (Interior Trend) Leather Upholstery

Light brown quilted leather interior of the Flying Spur
Bentley

To be fair, leather-clad interiors aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. However, most car brands have already begun to implement more environmentally friendly alternatives to the classic dead cow cabin area.

Interior View of All-Electric 2022 Tesla Cybertruck Pickup Truck
Via: Tesla

For example, Tesla now only installs vegan-friendly leather interior alternatives in its vehicles, and it’s barely noticeable if you ask us. there are still a few Problems with Tesla that no one talks about

1/10 (Foreign Trend) Many Manufacturer Color Options

The 2023 BMW 3 Series sedan is on the road.
via: BMW Group Press

In the past, powerful cars came from the factory in a wide variety of weird color schemes. The same was true of modern supercars, but all we’ve gotten over the past few years seems to be different shades of grey, white and black.

Mercedes-Benz-C63_S_AMG_E_Performance-Rear 1
Via: Netcarshow

It seems that nothing can be done to change this boring phenomenon anytime soon. It breaks our hearts to see that the individualization aspect of new cars is a thing of the past, especially when it comes to driver-focused sports cars…


#Interior #Auto #Trends #Exterior #Trends #Outdated

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