Car manufacturers in both the US and the UK are increasingly striving to raise the bar in terms of in-car entertainment to meet the rising expectations of a young demographic.
Increased access to social media, games and apps available on Smartphones have been identified as the features which are now hugely significant for young car buyers. If a manufacturer fails to integrate such features effectively into a vehicle, it appears that buyers in the 18-35 demographic are not interested.
Rick Hanna, a global automotive leader at PWC, commented on the evolution of the situation.
“What we’re seeing is a very high percentage of people in that demographic looking for integrated services when they buy a car,” said Hanna. Smartphone connectivity is thought to be a significant part of these services.
Keeping up with the kids
A recent statistic released by Honda suggested that total sales of their vehicles by those under the age of 27 in the last six months stood at just 2.6%. This figure is thought to reflect the fact that manufacturers have been failing to factor in the rising expectations of the younger car-buyers when it comes to including the right features.
It is also anticipated that as the sales of Smartphones increase and the technology they offer also improves, manufacturers will have to work extremely hard to keep up with this trend and offer a suitably attractive package to young drivers.
Everything from car stereos to car speakers will need to integrate smoothly with the capabilities of a Smartphone. If manufacturers fail to keep up with the pace then it could have an even more significant impact on their sales from young drivers.
Comprehensive car stereo range
Car Audio Centre offers Smartphone-compatible stereos to allow you to make full use of your device’s capabilities. We offer a wide and varying range of car stereos and we can even fit the stereo for you in-store if required.