J.D. Power Asia Pacific has released a new study on buying patterns and preferences of car buyers in India. The findings of the study are quite interesting, which suggests that the number of new car buyers are showing an increasing interest in newly launched models in India, with the interest in existing or old models dwindling down.
Here we have a list of the key findings of the study
· In 2015, more new-vehicle buyers in India research the vehicle they consider than in 2014 (41% vs. 35%, respectively).
· More shoppers who consider a newly launched model use the Internet as a source of information for vehicle research than those who consider an existing model (51% vs. 45%, respectively).
· Among shoppers who consider a new model but later reject it, price is cited as the primary reason for rejecting (30%), followed by exterior design (21%) and fuel economy (18%).
· Maruti Suzuki is the most considered nameplate among new-vehicle shoppers for an 11th consecutive year, with 40 percent of all shoppers purchasing one of its models.
· Overall customer retention is at 37 percent in 2015, down slightly from 38 percent in 2014. Toyota has improved its customer retention rate the most from 2014.
The 2015 India Escaped Shopper Study is based on responses from 8,116 buyers and 2,983 rejecters of new cars and new utility vehicles who purchased their vehicle between September 2014 and April 2015. The study, which examines the reasons new-vehicle shoppers consider but ultimately reject certain models in favor of another, was fielded from March through July 2015.
This is rather surprising for us, here at Motoroids, as we would have expected the quality and features of the interior also to be a big factor in accepting or rejecting a car model.
What would be the key criteria for you to choose your car? Do let us know via comments or on one of our social channels
My criteria is
First of all Brand then
1. Exterior Look and design
2. Price of the vehicle
3. fuel economy
4. Features
5. Maintenance cost
6. Spare parts availablity
Hyundai Creta is costing 16.50 lacs for top end , matching with the Legendary Toyota Innova in prices , while nowhere in value proposition like engine , space , quality , reliability , durability , performance , comfort , size , brand value , resale value.. Innova is a segment above Creta , but shockingly Creta is costing almost equally to Innova… Auto industry is negotiating some strange path. I am disappointed with this direction of automobiles… Quality in all departments must be the top parameter for pricing , everything else must come second.
The sales data of exorbitantly priced cars like Hyundai elite i20 , creta , Honda Jazz etc , gives a contrasting picture though. IMO , today's buyer is fooled by offering great exterior & feature list alone. The customer doesn't mind paying hefty amount for a product with looks and feature list , undermining quality in design , chassis , engine , handling , breaking , driving pleasure , convenience & comfort. Leading the pack is Korean Hyundai , as it knows it can not match Japanese in the departments of , engine , chassis , handling etc.. so Hyundai is offering products with great looks and a packed feature list , with technically inferior engines , handling and breaks.
i totally agree with your thought amit. But this research done, clarifies on why Maruti or Honda is able to sell a lot cars irrespective of their interiors. The majority of people are just not concerned about it. And there are two primary reasons i would say 1. They have been too used to the dull below par plastic y interiors being forced upon them by these manufacturers 2. The heard Policy. If many are buying it, then it must be good. I personally got myself an i20 Asta in 2013 and am more happy with it then my last car which was Honda City Automatic. The i20 made me feel like the city had the most basic interiors n equipment even when i had payed a good part of Rs12lakh for it,