Infotainment and connectivity may be increasingly important in the daily lives of drivers, however, these factors are not differentiators when purchasing a new vehicle. A new report from the Strategy Analytics has found that instead, it will be the ease by which the consumer can access and utilize these features that will differentiate one vehicle from another. Consequently, this has led to an increase in the importance of human-machine interfaces (HMI) in decision making.
Price, mileage, mobility and style are very important followed by safety. Chinese consumers look for brands, self-driving features, ratings and infotainment features.
In-vehicle UX (IVX) group at Strategy Analytics wrote the “Consumer Vehicle Purchase Priorities: Advanced HMI Options Increasing in Importance.”
The report finds include:
- The top five most important purchase priorities by respondents in the US, Western Europe and China are
- Upfront price.
- Fuel efficiency.
- Ride/handling.
- Workmanship/visual appeal.
- Safety features have become increasingly important in a consumer’s purchase decision, being a top 5 influencer in China and Western Europe and a top 6 influencer in the US
- Compared to the US and Western Europe, respondents in China attributed relatively more importance to brand/ brand image, automated driving features, reputation/reviews, and infotainment features
“Infotainment and HMI have previously been nonfactors in a consumer’s decision to purchase a vehicle, only becoming relevant post-purchase when used. However, while this trend continues overall, we are starting to see an increase in importance of HMI particularly in the US and Europe. HMI is still not one of the top factors when purchasing, but it is the accessibility and usability of these features that counts most,” said Chris Schreiner, Director UXIP, the author of the report.