MATERIAL STRATEGY AND COMPONENT INTEGRATION FOR OFF HIGHWAY VAN
Project Overview
CMF STRATEGY, UPHOLSTERY, INTERIOR DESIGN.
Scope
The Model Year 2026 initiative required a comprehensive refresh of the interior ecosystem to express brand maturity and elevate build quality. The objective was to define a rugged-luxury design language that unified CMF, seating, and systems under a single cohesive identity. Existing material palettes lacked direction, leading to disjointed interiors and the use of failure-prone materials. This wasn't just about creating a better product, but creating a better experience for our customers and our staff.
Analysis of the existing build process revealed that inconsistent material palettes caused difficulty for both customers and the sales team when attempting to configure cohesive vehicle interiors. Furthermore, the production team experienced recurring issues due to the use of untested finishes and heavy, failure-prone materials like Paperstone. Redefining the CMF program provided a clear, actionable path for the sales and design teams to follow. Exploration consisted of both inwards and outwards searching. Who was OHV as a brand, and what would be evergreen in both material durability, features, and aesthetics?
The design process required parallel development across multiple interior touchpoints to ensure a cohesive identity. Renderings of proposed material palettes were generated to establish the rugged-luxury aesthetic and evaluate color and texture combinations. This foundational strategy was then applied to specific physical components. For the seat covers, a new pattern was developed to carry the brand language throughout the vehicle. Concurrent development involved evaluating samples and refining specifications for a stocked lineup of steering wheels that matched the new interior direction. Additional components, including a custom cargo tray, were developed within this unified material strategy to guarantee visual consistency.
The finalized ecosystem established a unified material strategy across all internal vehicle touchpoints. The transition to porcelain and solid surfaces enabled the integration of new product features, including below-surface cooktops. The updated palette elevated the overall perceived quality of the vehicle interiors and successfully aligned with the MY'26 interior direction
