What's the favourite part of your car? Front or back?

According to a story in the latest issue of Outlook magazine, 65 percent of respondents in a market study said that when it comes to design, the dashboard’s dashing looks were most important. Another 35 percent looked at internal aesthetics, seats, side panels, comfort and boot space.

Overall, 53 percent said the look of the front of the car mattered in their decision to buy a model, while 47 percent paid attention to the back of the car.

Clearly, looks matter for even the thrifty Indian consumer.“We have been monitoring people’s preferences and found that the first preference is fuel economy, second is styling, third is interiors. Price comes in at number four,” Arvind Saxena of Hyundai Motor India, told Outlook.

Several market experts thought the importance of style stemmed from the Indian’s car buyer’s growing pride of ownership. When pride is a key factor, “seemingly innocuous things can swing the final decision - like the look of a dashboard,” the article noted.

While the story does not contain the results of any particular market survey, it quotes the views of several industry experts along with drawing upon several ‘market studies’.

Other insights include the fact that discounts and freebies are not such a great crowd-puller, except during festival seasons, and brand loyalty is diminishing rapidly, especially for high-end cars.

For the story, click here .