I was really hoping this one wouldn’t need writing, but there seems to be no end to that scourge of “piano black trim.” I’m talking about the glossy black trim that has somehow become a luxurious piece of decoration used to enhance interiors that would otherwise lack class.
Last weeks LA Auto Show Reveal a lot about it. Both New Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X is highlighting the piano’s black plastic in the wrong places. Similar steps for the new Kia Sportage, but a few of these examples are just one bright spot in the industry-wide obsession with glossy black.
This shiny border looks good in my favorite press photos new car interior, but it won’t look as good as soon as the photo shoot is done. Anyone who owns a car with piano black trim knows what happens to it over time. First, it gets covered with dust and particles – this only takes a day or two. Next, and the part takes a few months to a year, it gets horribly scratched and looks horrible overall. It might just be the least durable interior trim material ever invented, and it’s now used on countless new cars.
Anecdotally, the use of black trim for pianos has grown recently, and it continues to grow. In most cases, it replaces plastic that can have a flat black or gray surface. Those flat, non-flashy trim pieces last for years and don’t get dirty easily anywhere near the black color of a piano. That begs the question, why did the automakers decide to switch to the new piano-black-everything style?
Perhaps, piano black interior decoration is more effective in car sales. We humans tend to be attracted to shiny things like diamond rings and expensive watches. If one interior amazes us with its sparkle while another is dull, that’s why we can end up choosing an interior that hits us with the “wonderful” factor. that initial.
Even with the trend unfolding completely ahead of time, some are taking a stand against the piano’s black trim. Honda’s motobike design New Civic of center console without any purported piano black trim, opting instead for a lined gray plastic panel. It won’t scratch or get dirty like piano black, but it’s still a visually interesting piece of decoration that stands out from the rest of the design.
This kind of purposeful design is also exactly what I would like to see happen. Get rid of any piano black trim that lies flat in the interior or will be subject to our constant exposure. If it is flat, it will collect dust immediately. If we frequently touch it or put a lot of things on it, the border will get scratched and quickly lose its shine. The only areas where a piano’s black trim is acceptable are in upright positions and in places where our fingerprints don’t often smudge it. Ours Long-term Hyundai Palisade essentially implemented this rule by limiting the piano’s black trim to certain areas such as around the infotainment, while using metal-like silver trim in areas of impact. strong.
And while we’re in this pruning, let me call out too carbon fiber Interior decoration as another trend. Any high-performance car seems to have a carbon interior as standard (or offered as an option). I used to be enamored with the idea of seeing carbon fiber in as many places as possible, but those days are long gone. Now, just looking at it makes me feel tired and cheap.
I still appreciate the use of carbon fiber for any exterior parts like the rear spoiler or side sills – full carbon car also have their place – but its purpose is largely wasted on the interior. If the carbon trim legally cuts weight, I’d be happy to do it. But for such limited use on the interior (stripes on the dashboard, doors, or center console wrap around), it doesn’t cut any tangible weight and the wood or metal trim with a beautiful pattern will look significantly more luxurious.
Not to mention, the additional cost of carbon fiber trim is often higher or equivalent to the cost of a much more lavish replacement. I’d rather stare at a hollow walnut panel than a carbon fiber one. And didn’t even get me started carbon fiber decorative steering wheel. Carbon behaves like all metal in a car on hot days, untouchable for the first few minutes of driving – that’s not a good quality to be had in a steering gear.
So let’s say goodbye to both piano black and carbon fiber interior trim. The former is simply a bad idea for the longevity of your interior, and the latter has plenty of more appealing alternatives.
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