Latest Driver Tech is Very Important to 1 in 3 People

Latest Driver Tech is Very Important to 1 in 3 People
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Independent global researcher GfK, has released findings showing which vehicle features, from a given list, people see as being ‘very important’ in a vehicle. Hygiene factors of safety in an accident, reliability, fuel economy and low running costs naturally top of the list. However, significant numbers state that the latest driver technology and passenger technology is ‘very important’ to them - and the percentage of people claiming this increases notably with income.

Over a third (36 percent) of the online population across 17 countries see having the latest driver technology in a vehicle (e.g., steering or parking assist, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry or ignition) as ‘very important’, and over a quarter (28 percent) say the same for the latest passenger technology (audio or video streaming, social network connectivity, etc.).

Looking at these results by income there is notable difference in the numbers that say having the latest technology in their vehicle is ‘very important’. On average, 44 percent of people in the high income quartile (the top quarter of the total income in each country), see the latest driver tech as ‘very important’, compared to just 30 percent of people in the low income quartile (the bottom quarter of total income within each country). Likewise, for the latest passenger tech, 35 percent of those in the high income quartile say it’s very important, versus 22 percent on those in the low income quartile.

The effect of income on what people see as important in their vehicle is seen across a range of features, not just the vehicle technology, in particular the quality of workmanship, a comfortable interior, a spacious interior, a powerful engine and the reputation of the manufacturer. In other areas such as the fuel economy or environmentally friendly, the results are much more even across all income bands.

Brazil (48 percent), China (43 percent) and Korea (42 percent) have the highest overall percentages saying that the latest driver technology is ‘very important’. And for the latest passenger technology, China (37 percent), Brazil (36 percent) and Mexico (30 percent) have the highest percentages saying it is ‘very important’.