"excitement" to mean a snazzy interior with lots of gadgets.

The interior comes with a choice of cloth or leather and the option of a front

bench or a pair of bucket seats. The optional power seat controls are either located

conveniently on the side of the seat or on the center console, depending on the type of package ordered.

Our Bonneville, a basic black SSEi, came with the top-of-the-line 12-way

adjustable leather bucket seats. The console-mounted seat controls with this system include nine buttons to adjust the front seats, with a mode switch for switching between driver and passenger adjustments. We thought this system makes the console look too much like a touch tone command center and wondered whether dust and debris would accumulate among the buttons over time. Don't spill the coffee around here. Three different buttons control the lumbar support, but none of the settings was particularly effective.

Five more buttons, arrayed like sentries along the console-mounted shifter, are

used to select among three driving modes. Two buttons control shock absorber

damping--one for the normal touring mode, the other for the firmer performance mode. Two buttons control shifting--one for normal driving, the other for maximum

acceleration performance. The remaining button is used to switch the traction control system on or off.

We couldn't decide whether we liked the optional head-up display that projects the

speed, turn signal indicators and warning lights, such as the low-fuel indicator, onto

the windshield. The intensity of the display can be adjusted using the dimmer switch or turned off, and this display does seem to be an improvement over similar systems we've seen in other cars.

Large analog speedometer and tachometer dials dominate the instrument display,

flanked by an attractive, highly legible assortment of traditional analog readouts

that include oil pressure, coolant temperature, battery voltage and fuel quantity.

Overall, it's an attractive layout.

Another "excitement" element is an optional electronic compass on the far left of

the instrument panel that looks like it could be a fly-to indicator for a jet fighter

coming in for a landing. This is balanced on the right with an electronic outline of

the car warning the driver of doors not fully closed, an open trunk or low fuel.

The optional electronic climate control system, meanwhile, provides a digital map

of the air temperature and velocity along with its source. Like many climate control

systems, it turns on the air conditioning compressor even when it's 20 degrees

outside.

The stereo system controls are easy to operate, whether adjusting the volume with

the relatively large knob or using the optional steering wheel controls.

An optional electronic load-leveling system detects when weight is added to the

rear seats or trunk and causes a compressor to pump air into the rear shocks to raise the rear of the car. This system comes with a thoughtful trunk accessory kit that includes a spotlight, first-aid kit, gloves, a windshield scraper and an air hose. The air hose can also be screwed onto an air valve in the trunk, allowing the compressor to be used to inflate a tire or that inflatable raft.