Nissan says that women are generally dissatisfied with the state of automotive industry, with their needs and wants largely ignored.
“Lets face it, women have been largely ignored by the auto industry and our own research shows they are generally dissatisfied.” said senior manager of advanced planning & strategy at Nissan North America, Rachel Nguyen.
The company’s deputy division general manager, Francois Bancon, admitted that Nissan’s own cars are still not up to the standard expected by female buyers.
“Our interior still somehow remains a driving machine. Complex, difficult to use, too many controls. They still don’t know what they do. This is what women reject.” Bancon said.
“Why do I need 55 switches that I don’t know what they do? I just need one, I don’t need to tune the suspension system, I don’t need this.”
Nissan plans to alter its car design philosophy to better accommodate the needs and desires of female buyers in future models.
“When we study the ideal vehicle partner qualities that women customers want, we hear that they want vehicles with effective technologies, especially intuitive navigation systems.” Nguyen said.
“They want interiors that are sensibly laid out and that are versatile. They also want a space that they can live in, a holistic environment that is welcoming and personal rather than coldly efficient. And they want to be able to take care of guests and family in a place where it’s easy to engage in conversations and build a sense of togetherness.”
Nissan believes that adding higher levels of personalization options is one way it can improve its appeal to women globally.
Are today’s vehicles designed primarily for male buyers?
