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When Did Small Vehicles Get So...Nice?June 23, 2008 Automotive technology always seems to trickle down from the high end. Expensive and innovative technologies typically appear in luxury vehicles first, but as they increase in popularity and volume, economies of scale ultimately make them financially viable to mainstream consumers. Small in Size, Big in FeaturesCoincidentally, a whole host of formerly pricey accoutrements are making their way into small vehicles at a time when interest in small vehicles is increasing. Recently, Suzuki announced that navigation will be standard...yes, standard...in the 2009 Suzuki SX4, their entry-level car. And it's no bare bones nav either - it includes all the latest in navigation technology, such as real time traffic, weather, local events, and integrated Bluetooth for your cell phone, which is also capable of reading your text messages to you. Developed by Garmin and Microsoft, Suzuki's T.R.I.P. (travel, real-time traffic, information and play) system incorporates infotainment features that many luxury cars don't even offer yet. Penalty Box No More This certainly helps take the sting out of driving a smaller vehicle. It was only a few years ago that even the best small cars were penalty boxes relative to bigger ones. It wasn't just the lack of features, but it was also a lack of refinement. Contemporary small vehicles have become much more stylish and refined, and the advent of advanced technology in these small vehicles makes them much more appealing for those who choose to downsize for reasons of fuel economy. Small vehicles in Europe and Asia have long gone down this road; historically high fuel prices there have made smaller vehicles the default, meaning that many of these vehicles have high end features and refinement that we would see in larger vehicles Stateside. The Small Car Movement While fuel prices have a lot to do with increased consumer interest in smaller vehicles, it's also a steadily increasing number of young, Generation Y first time buyers coming into the marketplace. This generation is massive, at 76 million people. According to AutoPacific data, only 9% of buyers in 2007 were Generation Y, but this will increase to 19% by 2013. Currently, many Generation Y members have yet to purchase their first new vehicle. Keeping in mind that Generation Y has grown up with technology, the mainstreaming of in-vehicle technology is very well timed. Home More AutoPacific News Stories Search News Story Submissions |
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