The trend of bigger and bolder AV systems in consumer vehicles is continuing, with Ford’s reveal of a 48-inch display spanning the dash of the upcoming 2024 Lincoln Nautilus.
Comprised of two 24-inch, 4K curved displays, the dashboard of the 2024 Nautilus stretches across nearly the full width of the cabin, and is customizable via an 11.1-inch touchscreen that sits in the center of the dash. From here, users can drag-and-drop what widgets or information they would like to be readily available on the display, such as weather reports or tire pressure. Lincoln says that the display helps with driver focus by keeping key information closer to the driver’s sightline. Unlike some auto manufacturers, Ford is keeping Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility in the upcoming vehicle.
Doug Field, Ford’s Chief EV and Digital Design Officer and former Apple engineer commented on the emerging design philosophy of large, vibrant auto displays to The Verge, saying, “I think displays, in many ways, have been like windows into the inside of the car. That was one of the things Steve [Jobs] taught us: the hardware should gradually become just a window into the world of software.”
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For those who are intimidated by the amount of screen real estate in the 2024 Nautilus, a “calm” mode can be toggled on, which completely turns off the right side of the display. How this affects the ambient lighting features of the car’s interior remains to be seen. The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is slated to arrive at dealerships sometime early this year.
