Shrink the car, not the interior: Designers expand bag of tricks to maintain inside space, comfort

摘要

To win over showroom customers who worry that his Mini models are too small, Roger Harrison uses himself as a human prop. The jovial, 6-foot-5, 230-pound sales manager at Mini of Nashville gamely climbs inside the trunk of a Mini to make his point. "Yes, it's a small car," he tells customers. "But not on the inside." With the global auto industry now tilting toward small vehicles, Harrison's comment is sure to become one of this decade's most common marketing messages: Small on the outside - but roomier and more comfortable than you'd think on the inside.