Women buying new vehicles want design options that offer flexibility, allow them to connect to the outside world and offer more storage space, a study by interiors specialist Johnson Controls in both the United States and Europe found.
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The Tier One supplier said the survey was responding to “the recent women-focused trends and market indicators highlighting the increasing buying power of women” and said it would use the data to “drive industrial design and new product development that meets the evolving needs of women”.
The results from the US and Europe were mostly similar.
The surveys concluded women are in transition with life stages, mind sets and responsibilities evolving and their vehicles need to transition to address these changes. From the working woman with her mobile office to ‘mom’s taxi service’, vehicles need to be customised to offer features and products that meet their expanding roles.
Women of all ages are also “incredibly connected” to technology and depend on the most recent technological advances to feel more connected to their family and friends. For women, technology is more than simply gadgetry and electronics – it offers them the safety, security and convenience they desire.
Women are creating their own storage areas because their vehicles (across most segments) fail to provide them with adequate space. In addition they would prefer to have reconfigurable storage compartments that truly optimise available space.
The study also revealed that women long for greater style in their vehicles and miss the excitement of driving more ‘fun, non-mom’ vehicles.
They are also looking for ways to be environmentally friendly that are convenient to their lifestyle and sensitive to their budget yet feel good in their car – the vehicle provides a feeling of safety and security, especially when they are alone in their vehicle. They use their commute as a way to take a break and relax.
“Women have a lot of personal items in their cars, which provide a feeling of being at home, and they wish to have more possibilities to create their interior to get more of the feeling of being at home,” the study concluded.
Johnson Controls conducted the survey with a multi-method research approach of individual interviews, duo in-home interviews and focus groups in Chicago, Boston, Germany and the Czech Republic in autumn 2007.
In addition to interior design insight, the information generated also helped identify and prioritise some of the key criteria that women consider when purchasing a vehicle, including function, safety, style, fuel economy and price.
