To one degree or another, connected cars are coming.
But more than all that connectivity, consumers want safety.
In a scoring of the top technology categories in
cars, safety rated a full point ahead of connectivity, according to the annual Auto Techcast report by Nielsen, comprising a survey of 12,000 U.S. consumers.
The other categories behind safety
and connectivity were comfort and convenience, driver assistance and fuel efficiency.
While consumers want connectivity in cars, most find their cars can’t compete with their mobile
devices, resulting in smartphone navigation being the top scoring technology and the only technology in the category of connectivity with a ‘good’ interest score.
Most (67%)
consumers interested in connected cars prefer built-in systems over brought-in systems, primarily due to convenience and comprehensive integration.
Where the car connectivity comes from also
matters. Many (43%) consumers say they would be less likely to buy a vehicle that used a different data plan than their smartphone’s.
But the desire for connectivity in a car differs by
demographic, especially between baby boomers and millennials. Here are the car features that most interest boomers, aged 51 to 69:
- 35% -- Safety
- 32% -- Comfort and
convenience
- 33% -- Connectivity
- 31% -- Driver assistance
- 25% -- Fuel Efficiency
Millennial have some different views, with connectivity playing a more
important role. Here’s what interests millennials, aged 21 to 38:
- 53% -- Connectivity
- 52% -- Comfort and convenience
- 51% -- Safety
- 50% -- Driver
assistance
- 47% -- Fuel Efficiency
One of the key findings in the study is that the average base familiarity with 44 auto technologies was low at 25%, highlighting a potential
marketing opportunity for automakers.
Despite all the new technology and connectivity coming in cars, the most important characteristics to consumers shopping for their next vehicle are price
(39%), reliability (29%) and fuel economy (28%).
Some behaviors won’t be impacted by the Internet of Things right away.