• Ford enlists help from more than 1,000 volunteers to test the company’s new global car seat that will first be made available in Europe for the S-MAX Vignale sport activity vehicle
• Extensive two-and-a-half year development programme, involving subjects ranging from a 135 kg American footballer to a petite 50 kg woman, helps designers to identify the “magic spot” for passenger lumbar support
• The lean-design seats – called F-Gen 2 seats – also will set new standards for interior space for S-MAX Vignale, and the forthcoming Edge Vignale SUV. For these models, finely crafted multi‑contour seats will offer 10-way power adjustment and tuxedo‑stitched detailing
• New global seat architecture demonstrated at Casa Decor interior design and architecture event in Madrid, Spain, 2016 signature Vignale Collection also presented

COLOGNE, Germany, June 1, 2016 – Are you sitting comfortably? That is the question that Ford designers posed to more than 1,000 volunteers in the two-and-a-half year process that has resulted in the company’s new front car seat.

The new seat design is making its European debut on the S-MAX Vignale, one of the first vehicles in a new range of upscale Ford Vignale products, delivering quality craftsmanship, superior refinement and personalised ownership experience.
From a 135 kg American footballer to a petite 50 kg woman, volunteers of all shapes and sizes from 20 countries sat in the seats, and operated related controls. Feedback collected from these customers across the world has been verified by engineers using a state-of-the-art robot, programmed to quantify softness, roughness, temperature, hardness and comfort.
By prodding and touching the trim and pushing seat controls for more than 10,000 hours, the robot interacts with the seat in the same way a person would. Testing has even enabled the team to identify the “magic spot” for lumbar support, precisely 130 millimetres above the pelvis.

Based on more than 100 measurements, the seats – called F-Gen 2 seats – will be standard equipment in Ford global models, and will in Europe also be introduced for Ford’s new flagship Edge Vignale SUV at the end of this year.

“Of all the systems in a car, the one people are most passionate about and connect with is their seat,” said Daniel Ferretti, seat systems engineering manager, Ford Motor Company. “Each part relates to a specific customer, yet helps everyone sit the way they like, while offering them support where they need it most.”

The global use of one seat design, developed entirely in-house by Ford, is a first in the auto industry, allowing vehicle designers to improve rear legroom while also making controls and features more widely available to consumers around the world.

S-MAX Vignale and Edge Vignale
For S-MAX Vignale and Edge Vignale, the F-Gen 2 seat lean design sets new standards for interior space. The finely crafted multi-contour seats are equipped with 10-way power adjustment and Vignale signature tuxedo-stitched detailing.

Enhanced with Active Motion massage to reduce muscle fatigue on longer journeys, the seats use 11 inflatable cushions for an unobtrusive massaging effect on thighs, bottom and lower back. Further luxurious seating functions include heating and cold-ventilation functions to enhance comfort in cold winter weather, and offer relief to occupants on hot days by directing cold air from the climate system through perforations in the seat leather.

Demonstrated at the Casa Decor design event in Madrid, the seats were designed after engineers scrutinised luxury private aeroplane seats and materials used in handmade leather goods and premium handbags.

For Vignale models, each leather piece undergoes a rigorous hand-selection process that minimises natural markings. Just 0.5 millimetres thick, the full‑grain premium Windsor leather is then carefully stretched and trimmed so the final fit is perfect. Finished parts are exposed to the sun to ensure that even over time the surface appearance remains consistent.

Following a unique colour and ageing processes in which the Vignale Charcoal Black and contrasting Cashmere Cream colours are created, skilled upholsterers take over. Hand-finished by dedicated craftspeople at Ford’s Vignale Centre in Valencia, Spain, each Vignale seat, features 40 individual precision laser-cut leather pieces, with 130 unique Vignale hexagonal quilts precision-sewn into each item. Each seat features 110 per cent more leather for greater coverage, and requires 50 per cent more sewing time.

“We’ve spent thousands of hours agonising over every detail from the stitching and materials to the precise location of controls, so no matter who you are, the comfort and driving experience is uniquely yours,” Ferretti said.

Signature collection
The signature 2016 Ford Vignale Collection, created by the same Ford Design team behind the Ford Vignale model range, also is displayed at Casa Decor, both as finished articles and in their component parts to demonstrate the high level of attention to detail. This includes the all-new Vignale Smart Traveller, a slim expandable garment sleeve, inspired by the bold, exterior styling of Edge, and slim travel gadgets.

Presented in exquisite yet robust natural leather, artisan leatherworkers in Dusseldorf, Germany, recreated for the sleeve the signature Vignale hexagonal graphic theme used in the handcrafted Vignale seats. The Vignale Smart Traveller offers large internal pockets with space for four garments, with zips and fastenings cleverly concealed by tuxedo stitching.

Available to experience and order from Vignale Lounges and via a dedicated online store, the Vignale Collection also includes the Vignale Weekender – a luxury overnight bag awarded a prestigious iF Design award. Also presented is a small lady’s bag, handmade from exclusive, high quality leather; a purse, money clip, iPhone sleeve, and business card sleeve; and a handmade silk scarf and silk tie.

“The Vignale Collection mirrors the dynamic nature of Ford Edge and S-MAX while exploring different design studies within the signature theme by combining natural leather and innovative fabrics,” said Erika Tsubaki, creator of the Vignale Collection and design supervisor, Ford of Europe. “The Vignale Smart Traveller is inspired by the bold lifestyles of luxury SUV owners and smart travellers.”

The Vignale story
Alfredo Vignale was one of the first coachbuilders, or carrozzeria, to see a car as something that could be personalised with unique, made-to-measure designs. Vignale learned his craft with master coachbuilder Pinin Farina, before creating his own iconic designs for Italian automobile makers under his own name, taking advantage of new fabrication techniques developed by the aviation industry. From 1948 until 1969, the Vignale Carrozzeria, near Turin, attracted customers from around the world.