Crash-ratings, number of airbags top features driving car preference in India

A study conducted in India among customers to gauge their top preferences while buying a personal car showed that safety is their top priority. The study, commissioned by Skoda Auto India and conducted by NIQ BASES, revealed that a five-star crash rating and the number of airbags in a four-wheeler are among the top two features driving consumers' car buying decisions.

About 47.6% respondents of the survey prioritize safety features over other features in a car. Car's crash ratings received an importance score of 22.3%, followed by number of airbags with an importance score of 21.6%. The third most important parameter that determines customers' car buying preference is a higher fuel-efficiency, with an importance score of 15%.

In terms of crash ratings, 22.2% customer preference was observed for a 5-star rating, followed by 21.3% preference for a 4-star rating. Only 6.8% score was allotted to crash rating of zero.

The survey also gauged people's awareness about the existence of the two sets of crash ratings conducted for four-wheelers. About 76% respondents claimed that they are aware of these two sets of safety ratings. The study showed that while about 53% are aware of the adult occupants' crash rating, only about 30% of respondents are aware of a separate child/rear occupants' safety rating. About 92% of respondents agreed that all cars in India should come with a crash rating.

The survey was conducted among people who own a car above ₹5 lakh and those who do not own one at the moment but plan to buy one above ₹5 lakh within a year. About 67% of the respondents consisted of current car owners while 33% belonged to the second category. The survey was conducted on individuals between 18 and 54 years of age, with 80% of respondents being male, and 20% female.