It seems that today's drivers have come a long way in taste and expectation from days of old where one could 'pick any colour as long as it was black'.
Research conducted by distributors of the Mahindra Pik-Up utility vehicle have found that over 97% of drivers expected to have at least three of what used to be considered luxury items, included in a medium priced car, feeling 'duped' if they have to pay extra for them.
Claire Tynan, Chief Operations Officer of TMI Pacific said, "Other than roadside assist, an average of 90% of participants thought items such as air conditioning, power steering, remote central locking, CD/MP3 player, and power windows should come standard.
"The days of getting 'RSI' from winding your windows up and down, or turning a heavy steering wheel are long gone. Less than 3% of those surveyed said that they wanted a basic car for a basic price with no extras included. The bar has certainly been lifted."
Interestingly, when asked what the one feature Australian drivers couldn't live without, the answer was air conditioning for 45% of people. Power steering came next with 25% saying that they would struggle without it over and above any other item.
Next were safety features, which gained more of the votes than true creature comforts such as remote central locking, a CD/MP3 player and power windows.
Ms. Tynan said, "Aussie drivers are discerning consumers who undoubtedly expect value for money propositions.
"Even within the utility vehicle category, which has traditionally appealed to farmers and tradies due to their basic "workhorse" appeal and practical functionality, we're seeing consumers gravitate towards a vehicle which offers much more.
"This is because standard features such as these allow the vehicle to become cost effective and multi-functional. So it not only does the job around the farm or from job to job, it does much much more. Weekend or leisure trips can be taken comfortably and other members of the family can enjoy the vehicle too. It's no longer viewed as just the workhorse that's used only during work hours."
For more information on the Pik-Up from Mahindra, please visit www.mahindrapikup.com.au
Source: TMI Pacific