Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Consumer's Eye

Casting new lights on function and design

Changing headlight styles creates more distinctive look for vehicles, costs more.

By Anita Lienert / Special To the Detroit News

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When the 2007 Cadillac Escalade hits the streets next year, lovers of bling should be delighted with the little touches on the big SUV.

Designers are planning to set the brand's familiar wreath-and-crest logo into the stacked headlights on the SUV that's been a favorite of hip-hop artists. The Cadillac logo is popular in jewelry design, as evidenced by the Italian charms sold on the Web.

Cadillac's tinkering with the Escalade's headlights is part of a larger automotive design trend that emphasizes oversized taillights and headlights.

"Lamps have become the focus of vehicle design," said John Wolkonowicz, an analyst with Global Insight and an automotive historian. "Almost everything is exaggerated. Just look at the front lamps of the 2006 Chevrolet Impala. Cars are getting a googly-eyed look, like some fish that crawled out of the deep sea."

Auto stylists like Dennis Myles, senior manager of Dodge truck design, admit the design trend is "risky."

"They may be risky," said Myles, as he pointed out the headlights on the 2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab, "but they are also unmistakable in traffic. With this vehicle, we were seeking leadership design in headlamps. We wanted them to be more 3-D, more aggressive and with more output. The headlight now intrudes into the fenders; the old ones were covered by the fender. Unlike the treatments of the past, this one looks good from several angles."

Expect to see fairly wild headlight treatments on such upcoming vehicles as the new Toyota RAV4. What you won't see, however, are hidden headlights, which are completely out of style. Even the Chevrolet Corvette now has visible headlights with projector beams.

Consumers may pay a minimum of $500 to fix one.

Speaking of pricey accessories , automakers are also showing a renewed interest in cabin clocks. Cadillac has a new Bulgari clock in the 2006 DTS and Chrysler put a new analog clock in the 2006 PT Cruiser. Consumer's Eye is still waiting for the $2,400 Marc Jacobs diamond-and-grosgrain watch to end up in a Jaguar.

You can reach Anita Lienert at Conseye@aol.com