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Saab concept car

Saab Automobiles, 1998

In order to push the brand forward and attract a new type of audience, Saab Automobiles contracted Ilkka Suppanen to design a new interior system for existing cars. The design director of Saab, Einar Hareide, was interested in a design that embodied “bravery” and demonstrated radical Nordic design thinking. Suppanen’s design consisted of car seats that utilized decompression bag technology normally reserved to create temporary casts for first aid emergencies. The technology resembles a type of sleeping bag that forms itself around the body and then hardens into the optimal shape. When the user sits down, the seat is soft. However, press a button and the air is sucked out of the seat and now molded to the individual's exact proportions. This, in turn, provides an optimal level of comfort and support for the user.