That dash includes a racing car-type steering wheel and instrument pod, the former squared off at its edges and wrapped in leather and wood surfaces, to match the wood and leather of the console-mounted gearshift lever. The latter could be an effective solution for bringing important controls close to the driver's finger tips, simultaneously benefiting convenience and safety, while cutting costs by making the need to integrate the various controls into the dash area a non-issue. Shift-by-wire and steering-by-wire technologies make the high-tech instrument cluster possible, with the shifting and steering positions adjustable to the position of the driver's seat.
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| The dash includes a racing car-type steering wheel and instrument pod, the former squared off at its edges and wrapped in leather and wood surfaces. (Photo: Nissan) |
Nissan dubs the new layout 4 HMI, HMI referring to human-machines interfaces, something being touted for future production considerations. In detail, it features essential functions to be controlled through four steering wheel column mounted switches. An in-dash monitor incorporates touch actuation for making finer adjustments.
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| The entire top of the dash, just below the windshield, is made up of a shrouded "Horizontal Meter Unit". (Photo: Nissan) |
The entire top of the dash, just below the windshield, is made up of a shrouded "Horizontal Meter Unit" (HMU), a split-level gauge package consisting of a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor and a transmissive electroluminescent (EL) display for monitoring vehicle functions. The massive structure spans 1,200 mm (47.2 in) in width and 70 mm (2.8 in) in height. Its placement should minimize the time it would normally take to glance at a conventional instrument cluster in comparison, which theoretically should improve safety. Once again this technology is similar to the production Quest minivan that integrates a digital display high on the dash at its center position. The Serenity's simply offers more digital space for additional functionality over and above the Quest's vehicle speed and audio/HVAC readouts (and other driver gauges), such as rearview camera images provided by the All-Around View System.