GM FYI Blog

By Gayle Weiswasser
GM Consultant

Mark Grajek, lead seat comfort engineer, heads up an expert team of engineers who test new seats in GM models to ensure they are as comfortable as possible for the whole range of new car buyers. He recently answered some questions about his job for the FYI blog.

FYI: How many rides do you do?
MG: We go out on a weekly basis and do about 44 rides a year. Due to the large number of programs and their specific program timing, our ride calendar is in place almost three years in advance. Because of workload and timing constraints, we keep a very tight rein on the calendar.

FYI: What is a typical week like for you?
MG: On Mondays, we review the work yet to be done for the ride that week. On a typical ride we will test, on average, 12-14 different seats. Sometimes we test one particular style of seat, which is being used in a few different GM models, or we might test a few different seats that are each being used in only one GM model. The new test seats are always compared to a reference seat, such as in a benchmark or target vehicle. This allows us to have a tangible reference to a known, comfortable seat. The ride takes place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. At a wrap-up meeting at the end of the second day, we download all of the information we gathered during the ride, and identify any comfort issues that surfaced during the ride. On Thursdays, we “tear down” the cars, which means removing the new seats and putting the original seats back in, and on Fridays we present our finished reports and step up preparations for the ride the following week.

FYI: Who do you work with?
MG: The expert group of GM seat engineers is actually only three engineers. We work with an outside firm of evaluators that helps us with seat testing. That group has three women in the fifth percentile for women in height and weight, a man and woman each in the 50th percentile for height and weight, and two men in the 95th percentile. That way, we know we’re covering the vast majority of GM drivers.

FYI: What are you looking for on a ride?
MG: Initially we’re looking to eliminate discomfort. We want to be sure that there are no “hotspots” in the seat, or spots where hardware, suspension, cover or trim causes pressure points in the seat. Once we’ve eliminated the discomfort, we’re looking to see how we can add comfort to the seat. “Does the cushion need to be longer to increase the comfort level in the thigh?” Basically, we want to satisfy the largest range of people that we can between the fifth percentile for women and the 95th percentile for men. It’s a continuous check-and-balance process that refines the comfort to meet or exceed the customer expectations.

FYI: In your opinion, what’s the most comfortable seat out there among GM models?
MG: I think there are a lot of great products out there across all the GM models. The recent models our team has worked on, from the HHR to the Buick Lucerne, and Cadillac DTS — they all have great seats.

FYI: The Cadillac Escalade has cooling seats — seats that actually emanate cool air. Do you think this feature will start appearing in more models?
MG: Cooling seats will probably remain a high-end feature in models like the Escalade. But we are working more with ventilated seats, or seats that allow air to circulate from within the seat. Leather seats tend to trap air and can get sticky; ventilated seats will help cure that problem.

FYI: How long have you been at GM?
MG: I’ve been with GM for 32 years, from Design Center, to Product Engineering, to Performance Integration, and have been involved with seat comfort for about the last 10 years. I have headed up this team for about two and a half years.

FYI: What do you like best about your job?
MG: Everything I do directly affects the customer on a daily basis. Working with a team that is making the seats and the vehicle better for the customers brings me great satisfaction.