People's Car No. 1 in Europe

European car owners show a strong preference for 'home grown' brands, according to the survey of car ownership and purchasing intentions conducted by ACNielsen [have to exclude the UK I suspect - Ed]. Globally, Toyota ranks as the number one car brand, but Volkswagen is top in Europe.

Nielsen asked about European consumers' current and future car ownership intentions as part of its Online Consumer Survey of 14,000 Internet users in 28 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the US last October. VW was a leading brand in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Sweden, while Fiat was a clear market leader in Italy, and Citroen and Peugeot in France.

A chart-topping thirty-four percent of Italians said they were planning on buying a new car this year, mainly to replace their current model. The French and Spanish followed with 32% and 30% respectively.

According to Frank Martell, President, ACNielsen Europe, Spanish consumers are looking at buying mainly Peugeots and Audi's. 'While Volkswagen is currently the leading car brand in Europe and ranked third in global brand ranking, they are under increasing competition from Peugeot, Toyota and Ford which are also top-of-mind brands among Southern European consumers looking to purchase a new car in the near future'.

36% of US consumers and 19% of Asians said they would like to purchase an SUV or 4WD vehicle in the next six months. These two types appear to have a bright future globally and are the leading 'aspirational' choice for US and Asia Pacific Internet consumers. However, in Europe high fuel prices and congestion in Europe make them a less attractive choice.

Price is a unanimous choice across the globe as the most important factor in choosing a car, but Europeans said that Safety/Security and Design were also top priorities - higher than Performance which was a leading priority for American and Asian drivers. 'Manufacturers of luxury vehicles may be surprised to learn that Brand Image and Prestige do not appear to be a top priority in choosing a car brand' says Martell. 'Automotive advertising campaigns that focus heavily on prestige and image without offering options on price, performance and safety may be missing a key target group'.

In Nielsen's Global Car Ownership Ranking, Americans are first with 92% of the adult population owning cars, closely followed by the Italians with 90%. European countries accounted for seven of the top ten, but car ownership is lowest in bicycle-friendly Netherlands (28% do not own a car).

Based on the survey findings, Nielsen developed an 'Aspiration Index' (AI) to further measure the relationship between current ownership levels and future intentions to purchase a vehicle, highlighting countries with high future demand. China, while ranking low in current car ownership, was found to have the most aspirational respondents in car terms, although potential car buyers account for a small portion of the population. Says Martell: 'Demand in the automotive market in China slowed a bit in 2004, reaching a temporary plateau, but will pick up again in 2005 as China is moving comparatively rapidly from an underdeveloped market with limited brand/model choice to a mature replacement market with an increased competition'.

Three of the world's four most populous countries (Indonesia is fourth) lead ACNielsen's Aspirations Index, which bodes well for car makers selling in these booming economies. By contrast, the US, many northern European countries and Japan were all found to have a low Aspiration Index, reflecting higher levels of existing ownership and reduced potential for further growth.

The agency's global home page is at www.acnielsen.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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