It's What"s Inside That Counts!
19 February 1998
New Study Examines Car-Buying Preferences, Says Vehicle Interiors Strongly Affect Purchase DecisionsResults reinforce key strategy of Johnson Controls to enhance interior features, functions and performance PLYMOUTH, Mich., Feb. 18 -- What's inside the "ride" -- the vehicle interior -- strongly influences the purchase decisions of those who buy new cars. That's one of the major findings in the latest consumer study of car-buyers' preferences. In the research -- recently completed by Wirthlin Worldwide of Grand Rapids, Michigan -- more than 60 percent of the new vehicle buyers polled said an unsatisfactory interior in a vehicle would discourage them from buying it. The study was sponsored by Johnson Controls, the world's leading supplier of automotive seating and interior systems. Participating in the survey were 505 primary drivers of 1997 model-year vehicles, which included cars and light trucks. "This study, and other recent research, confirms one of our most basic business premises -- that car-buyers are becoming more discriminating about the performance, features, and quality of vehicle interiors," said Beth Pincura, director of worldwide marketing research at Johnson Controls. "In fact, interiors are emerging as a key selling asset for vehicles, as well as an important market 'differentiator.'" Pincura says the increased consumer focus on interiors makes sense, since people are spending more time than ever before in their vehicles. "There is significant data on commuter and leisure travel that reflect increasing vehicular use," she said. This trend was demonstrated in the results of one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted of Americans' travel habits, and released by the U.S. Department of Transportation this past November. The American Travel Survey found that: * More than 80 percent of all long trips (of 100 miles or more) in the United States are taken in motor vehicles. * Even for trips of up to 2,000 miles -- cars, truck or vans are the preferred choice of travel. * Americans take 1 billion long-distance trips each year, twice as many as they took 20 years ago. Given this dramatic increase in "road time" among American families, what interior features and characteristics are most important to car-buyers? The Wirthlin study found that many of those polled (25 percent) rated the instrument panel as the most important interior feature, followed by seats in general (24 percent); stereo/cassette/CD (23 percent); ergonomic design (22 percent); appearance (19 percent); comfort/general roominess (15 percent); front seats (12 percent); air conditioning (8 percent); storage compartments/console (7 percent); visors/sun protection (4 percent); and rear seats (3 percent). Respondents in the Wirthlin study acknowledged the importance of interiors. But -- as one might expect -- the biggest factors overall that were found to influence car-buying decisions were dependability, brand name/reputation and price. "The results of both studies are compelling and reinforce our business and product direction," said Pincura. "Johnson Controls is fully committed to maintaining our industry leadership, as we strive to add new functions, features, value and enhanced performance in vehicle interiors." Johnson Controls, Inc., with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a global market leader in automotive systems and building controls. Through its Automotive System Group, it designs and produces seating and interior systems for automakers worldwide, and batteries for the original equipment and replacement markets. The Controls Group serves the non-residential buildings market with controls systems and services, and integrated facility management. Founded in 1885, Johnson Controls operates in more than 500 locations around the world. Johnson Controls securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with the trading symbol "JCI." The Plymouth, Michigan-based Automotive Systems Group of Johnson Controls is the world's largest supplier of vehicle seating and interior systems, and is a major supplier of batteries. In 1997, the company's worldwide operations supplied products for more than 20 million vehicles. The Automotive Systems Group employs more than 45,000 people at 157 facilities worldwide and achieved $8 billion in sales for the 1997 fiscal year. During the same period, Johnson Controls, Inc. (all divisions) recorded sales of $11.1 billion. CONTACT: Jeff Steiner of Johnson Controls, 734-254-5932. Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com or fax, 800-758-5804, ext. 473547. Web site: http://www.johnsoncontrols.com. SOURCE Johnson Controls