``Consumer Voice'' Survey Takes Consumer Pulse on Upcoming Auto Show Debuts, and a Host of Year-End Auto Trends.Feature Editors/Business Editors/Automotive Writers Greater LA Auto Show An auto show, or motor show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is commonly attended by automobile manufacturers. Most auto shows occur once or twice a year. 2004 IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 22, 2003 Autobytel Survey Respondents Tell OEMs They Want Reliability and Safety, Not Tech and Entertainment Gizmos In anticipation of the upcoming auto show season, Autobytel, the most visited new car buying and research destination on the Web, asked its millions of monthly car-shopping visitors(a) to review some of the most highly anticipated year-end debuts, and to provide their feedback on what directions they think automakers should take (and which strategies they might want to reconsider) in 2004. Here's what today's in-market auto shoppers have to say about current model trends -- and what they'd do differently moving forward: Mr. Automaker, Please Build Me a ... Consumers sent clear messages to the automakers about the vehicle categories they want them to expand, what style directions they should take, and which features and technology would most influence their buying decisions. In general, hybrids and sports cars topped consumers' category wish lists -- with 25% indicating that they'd most like to see more sports cars, and 19% signaling that they'd prefer to see more hybrids. (Only 13%, notably, said they'd like to see more SUVs.) The responses, however, played out differently across different manufacturers -- for example, most respondents would like to see Ford build a family wagon, while most would like to see Honda build a truck. Styling, Features and New Technology -- We Want Substance, Not Gadgets! One finding that jumps off the page is how little value shoppers attribute to the new generation of technology gadgets and gizmos Gadgets and Gizmos is a Canadian television program about technology gadgets and reviews shown on G4techTV Canada. The show, along with Call for Help, is a Canadian recreation of a TechTV original series known as Fresh Gear. that are hitting the market -- with very few indicating that they'd pay more for these (often expensive) features. Only 9%, for example, said they'd pay extra for a DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. navigation system A GPS-based electronic system in a car or truck that provides a real time map of the vehicle's current location as well as step-by-step directions to a programmed destination. See GPS and vehicle tracking. or GPS mapping system. Only 6.3%, meanwhile, said they would pay extra for a mobile entertainment system (i.e., TV/DVD screens, earphone See earbuds. ports, satellite radio, remote controls, etc.), while a mere 5.9% said they'd shell out more for a voice recognition system. Consumers place a high premium on safety features, with 31% indicating they'd pay more for features like side air bags, side curtain air bags, and head restraint systems. When asked what the OEMs' top priority should be when they build a new vehicle, 41% replied "better reliability" and 24% said "fuel-efficiency." In terms of styling, 70% of respondents favored the "sleek, futuristic look" of the Chrysler Crossfire The Crossfire is a rear-wheel drive sports car sold by DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler marque, and replaced the Plymouth/Chrysler Prowler. The car is built for DaimlerChrysler by Karmann in Germany and shares 89% of its components with other Mercedes models. , Nissan Murano The Nissan Murano is a luxury mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Nissan since the 2003 model year. Known as the "Maxima of SUVs", it slotted above the Pathfinder as Nissan's top-of-the-line SUV until the launch of the Armada in 2004. , New Toyota Prius The Toyota Prius is a hybrid electric vehicle developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation, and one of the first such vehicles to be mass-produced and marketed. The Prius first went on sale in Japan in 1997, and worldwide in 2001. , Infiniti FX The Infiniti FX is a mid-size luxury Crossover Sport Utility Vehicle (CUV) produced by the Nissan-owned Infiniti luxury brand since the 2003 model year. The FX replaced the QX4 as Infiniti's mid-size luxury SUV, despite being larger than its predecessor. 45, et al. The boxy/utilitarian/Gen-Y look (see: Honda Element, Toyota Scion sci·on n. 1. A descendant or heir. 2. also ci·on A detached shoot or twig containing buds from a woody plant, used in grafting. ), on the other hand, received a cool reception, with only 6% indicating that they like this design direction best. Consumers and Auto Shows...Let me Shop! Consumers give the green light to some of the auto show season's most highly anticipated debuts, including the Saab 9-2X crossover and the MINI Cooper convertible. Shoppers are particularly excited about the new Mazda Miata (74% said, "yes, it's time") and the new Honda Odyssey (72% concurred). On a more general note, survey respondents indicated a strong desire to be able to buy, as well as browse, at auto shows. When asked whether attendees should be able to place an order to buy a vehicle at an auto show, nearly half (46%) responded emphatically, "Yes! I can't believe they haven't thought of that." The complete "Consumer Voice" findings -- including a breakdown of the manufacturers that consumers felt built the best cars and trucks of 2003 -- will be available during press days at the L.A Auto Show. Autobytel Offers Objective, Comprehensive Los Angeles Auto Show News and Analysis -- Straight from the Convention Floor Autobytel is providing a one-stop information resource for journalists covering the upcoming 2004 Los Angeles Auto Show. Pre-show analysis is already available online at Autobytel Inc.'s websites, autobytel.com, autoweb.com, and carsmart.com. The company's editorial and data experts will also be combing the convention floor to cover unfolding launches and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and announcements, offer expert reviews of concepts and production debuts, weigh in on industry trends, and snap plenty of new-model photos. This late-breaking news and information will be updated daily at the Autobytel websites during each day of the L.A. Auto Show (January 2-11). Autobytel web site editor, Brian Chee, and AIC AIC Association des Infermières Canadiennes. lead analyst, Christian Wardlaw, will be standing by to provide data and discussion to support show coverage. About Autobytel Inc. Autobytel, a leading Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing, advertising and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and postsales activities in an organization. (customer relationship management) tools and programs. The company owns and operates the automotive Web sites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com and AutoSite.com, as well as AIC (Automotive Information Center), a leading provider of automotive marketing data and technology. Autobytel is the industry leader in dealership lead management and CRM solutions and owns and operates AVV AVV Adviesdienst Verkeer en Vervoer AVV Augsburger Verkehrsverbund (German) AVV Aachener Verkehrsverbund GmbH (German) AVV Aruba Exempt Company Inc., a leading provider of dealership CRM and sales management tools and data extraction services. As the Internet's largest new-car buying service, Autobytel generates over a billion dollars a month in car sales for dealers through its services. Autobytel is also among the largest syndicated car-buying content networks, reaching millions of unique visitors as they are making their vehicle buying decisions. (a)Surveys were conducted at Autobytel.com in December 2003. http://www.autobytel.com |
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