[vkochar]

I have sat in a lot of cars BUT my favourite ones remain - I am only talking Indian Budget cars and not the luxury category.

The Cruze - it has a very expensive look and functionality to it and sporty too.

The Civic - Stil today even after 5 years it has a modern look and looks very cool.

Amongst small cars I feel the i20 is very nice.

[pgsagar]

What a wonderful thread! Most buyers go by exterior looks or interior space but overlook a pleasing dash/instruments. But car owners ( the self-drive types ) spend more time looking at dash and dials than the exterior. So, it is very important for a car to have a pleasing dash/dials.

My full vote goes to Civic and Cruze and Beat. Special mention must be made here of Beat, which despite being an econo-hatch, has a cockpit which is nearly in the same league as Civic/Cruze, for oomph factor.

[ashok_lat]

Under 20 Lac bracket it will be

1. Chevy Cruze
2. Honda Civic
3. Chevy Beat
4. Honda Jazz

[Latheesh]

^^

+ to that!

Above 20 lacs - Jaguar xjl for me!

[rajchetan]

Below 10Lac

1) Beat
2) Jazz
3) I20

Above 10Lac below 20lac

1) Civic
2) Cruz
3) Aria

[gautamkhadse]

Hey Krish, that FIAT punto joke wasn't funny at all .

OT guys , and sorry to hack the thread , this is an article that i read some time back , thought you guys might be interested .

Ward’s Announces 10 Best Interiors Winners

Three economy cars, three luxury brands, a sport sedan, minivan, upscale off-road SUV and family sedan round out this year’s Ward’s 10 Best Interiors list. Throughout February and March, Ward’s editors drove 51 vehicles that were all-new or featured significantly upgraded interiors in determining the 2011 winners.

2011 10 Best Interiors Nominees

• Acura TSX wagon
• Acura TL
• Chrysler Town & Country
• Dodge Charger
• Dodge Durango
• Dodge Journey
• Fiat 500
• Ford Edge
• Ford Explorer
• Ford F-Series Super Duty
• Ford Fiesta
• Ford Focus
• Audi A8
• Ford Mustang GT
• GMC Acadia Denali
• Honda CR-Z
• Honda Odyssey
• Hyundai Elantra
• Hyundai Equus
• Infiniti QX56
• Jaguar XJ
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Jeep Wrangler
• BMW X3
• Kia Optima
• Kia Sportage
• Lexus CT 200h
• Lincoln MKX
• Mazda2
• Mazda5
• Mini Countryman
• Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
• Nissan Juke
• Nissan Leaf
• Cadillac CTS-V wagon
• Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
• Nissan Quest
• Porsche Cayenne Turbo
• Ram Laramie Longhorn
• Saab 9-5 Aero
• Scion tC
• Subaru Forester
• Toyota Avalon
• VW Jetta
• VW Touareg Hybrid
• Chevy Cruze
• Volvo S60
• Chevy Silverado HD
• Chevy Volt
• Chrysler 200
• Chrysler 300

Winners :

• Audi A8
• BMW X3 xDrive35i
• Chevy Cruze 2LT RS
• Dodge Charger Rallye Plus
• Ford Focus Titanium
• Honda Odyssey Elite
• Hyundai Elantra Limited
• Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit
• Kia Optima EX
• Volvo S60

Notice , one hyundai and one Kia , I guess the Koreans are catching up , don't hate them .

Source :
All luxury affair: Ward's shows-off 10 best Interiors of 2010

You guys might love this article too :

10 Cars that put you behind the worlds coolest steering wheels :
10 cars that put you behind world

[Superleggera]

I am surprised that none of the Cars from Toyota/Lexus came into the list!.
IMHO, Lexus LS450 has a very nice cockpit, though I dont have the pic.

[Anandg]

In the pics above, the Hyundai's has the meanest and new looking cockpit followed by Honda. On the inside of our border, Tata and Maruti can walkaway with the worst design prize for interior and exterior. Though they are catching up, they need to shed the glasses of old cows and bring in what surprises customers and not shocks them. Among Indian cars, I feel interiors of Jazz and Superb are quite good and ergonimical.

[issigonis]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

More than just the design which might or might not be funky, what finally matters is how well positioned all the controls are and how well the car wraps around the driver.

I'm sorry to say, no matter how funky looking a wonderfully ergonomic design and wraps around perfectly.

>>>

reignofchaos,

Couldn't agree with you more- you've hit the spot.
I would say the parameters for me are :

1. Ease of use of controls
2. Visibility, both in the daytime and at night
3. Comfortable use in city, highway and long drives

If the cockpit is not the funkiest, it doesn't matter, to me.

Regards, drive safe
issigonis

[kphilip]

In my opinion Beat has the best looking cock pit in hatchbacks
I like Honda accord cock pits too, ofcourse not a comparison to Chevy cruze.

[dot]

A funky and ergonomic cockpit is a vital parameter for me. This is where we spend the time. It is not a wonder that I went for the Civic.

@John, those were some amazing cockpit pictures of the H1 and Ferrari. The H1 cockpit is.. indescribable.

My best cockpit list (Cars sold in India)

Beat
Civic
Audi A4

[hajaar]

The design of the cockpit - ergonomic and looks are a vital factor when I chose a car. Ultimately, we spend 99% of the time inside the car rather than outside and the interiors make a huge difference to our comfort levels. That said, my favorite is the Civic.

[Soccerfan]

Whats so bad about Punto cockpit? Atleast it has a great steering wheel. The dials and ambient lighting is also good. Whats fashion without functionality?

[advaitlele]

For me, Jazz takes the cake in terms of ergonomics and futuristic look, both.

I have always drooled over Civic's dashboard. Amazing and fresh even after 5 years of launch.

The thing to watch out for would be Fiesta 2011 model looking at the photos.

And that H1 cockpit - bye. I am going in search of dictionary to find right adjectives.
A question though - what is beneath that huge box between two front seats? I thought engine is where it ought to be - under bonnet. If its not, is it seating underneath that square between those two seats? I am amazed.

[vinya_jag]

Originally Posted by Soccerfan

Whats so bad about Punto cockpit? Atleast it has a great steering wheel. The dials and ambient lighting is also good. Whats fashion without functionality?

Parts falling OFF. Fading paint.

But one thing is the footwell is very much cramped. Its like landing both legs in the same pant.

I have driven it extensively. The door hand rest is very far from the steering wheel. I have trouble reaching the steering wheel when my right arm is resting on the arm rest.
And the door release lever makes a real noise [Tugg] when you open the doors.

The steering as you mentioned has great grip, but the heavy steering is still a pain in traffic. [The guys who mentioned Jazz must feel the real difference when they try the Punto]