Global market review of vehicle seating - forecasts to 2014

just-auto estimates that the European, North American, Japanese and Chinese front seating market volume totalled almost 106m units in 2007, and has the potential to reach 133m by 2014.

Although modern car seats are more comfortable and safer than ever before, flexibility, comfort and safety continue to be the main drivers of this business. OEMs are demanding greater differentiation in their seat designs, customers want more luxury such as cooling and heating, and ergonomists understand much more about what the human frame needs in order to be comfortable.

A great deal of work is also focused on different seat fabrics, creating more breathable or waterproof surfaces, and built-in fragrances are also being designed in a bid to increase feelings of well-being.

It' s clear that interiors must appeal to all kinds of people. Not only is there the problem of defining comfort levels, but also cosmetic questions of colour and trim, the covering materials used, durability, use of child seats, headrests and overall seating arrangement.

This 2008 edition of the report provides an overview of the vehicle seating industry, and takes a look at the trends affecting the sector. It offers top level market fitment, volume and value forecasts through 2014, and includes exclusive interviews with executives at Intier Automotive Seating and Johnson Controls. The technical review discusses the latest innovations in seating, such as increased flexibility, and the use of renewable materials, plus we provide a concise profile for each of the major manufacturers.