What features do consumers want in their next new vehicle? AutoPacific has been surveying demand for features since 1994 through our annual Future Attribute Demand Study (FADS) and recently surveyed its proprietary VehicleVoice panel to gain some insights into a few new features making their way into vehicles.
AutoPacific recently surveyed over 1,000 vehicle owners about 16 features, from categories such as safety and security, self-driving, comfort and convenience, and connectivity. The top 5 features consumers want on their next vehicle are highly focused on safety and security. “Features that promote safety, whether through improved driver visibility or collision avoidance, have been trending upward in AutoPacific’s Future Attribute Demand research for the past few years, but security-focused features like a dash camera, have not historically shown the same demand,” says AutoPacific research analyst Deborah Grieb. “
Source: AutoPacific Future Features Survey, July 2020
Are Dash Cams the Next Big Thing?
70% of respondents want a built-in dash camera on their next new vehicle, with broad applicability across age ranges, vehicle segments and price ranges. Dash cameras are currently only found in some high-end vehicles but it’s not an unfamiliar electronic to consumers. “Consumers have experienced an influx of personal video in social and news media in recent years and are very familiar with the potential security benefits of camera footage from dash cameras, body cameras, cell phones and doorbell cameras. It’s really not surprising to see such high interest in an in-vehicle recording device,” says Grieb.
Source: AutoPacific Future Features Survey, July 2020
With strong demand from both luxury brand and mainstream brand intenders, the biggest differentiator for dash camera applicability is in vehicle price. Those who plan to spend greater than $50,000 on their next vehicle have the highest demand, though demand from respondents planning to spend $30,000 or less is still strong at 59%, making this a feature that could be offered industry-wide as standard or optional equipment.