Development of Satisfaction Models for Passenger Car Interior Materials considering Statistical and Engineering Aspects of Design Variables

Abstract

As the functionality of a passenger car has reached at a satisfactory level, customer needs for aesthetic aspects of a design such as shape and material become increased. The present study developed satisfaction models for passenger car interior materials by applying methods of variable screening and recoding. Six interior parts of a passenger car were selected including crash pad, steering wheel, transmission gearshift knob, audio panel, and wooden/metal grain. Eight to fifteen material design variables were defined for the six interior parts. A satisfaction survey was conducted to 30 vehicles with 30 participants (mean (SD) of 28.7 (6.6) in age) by using a modified magnitude estimation scale. Methods of variable screening/recoding were proposed to develop models that are stable and of statistical/practical significance. By applying the variable screening/recoding methods to the surveyed satisfaction data, satisfaction models were developed for the six interior parts. Using the satisfaction models, material designs to improve customer satisfaction were prepared and their potential effects were estimated.