CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

1.1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY:

Consumer preference:

Consumer preference is a term that refers to consumers' choices to maximise their

satisfaction. Consumers have some degree of control over the type of goods they buy, but
they cannot always choose what they want.
Consumer preference is a theory that has been around for decades. It has been used to explain
the behaviour of consumers. Consumer preference can be applied in many different ways,
such as marketing, advertising, product design, etc.
The theory states that consumers are influenced by their own preferences, the preferences of
others, and the context in which they make decisions. Consumers are also influenced by
social norms and cultural values, which can be seen as social pressure to conform to certain
behaviours or beliefs
In economics, consumer preference is a concept that refers to the choices consumers make to
maximise their satisfaction. Consumers have some degree of control over the type of goods
they buy, but they cannot always choose what they want.
Consumer preference is a key factor in the economy. It is one of the most important factors
influencing demand, supply, and price.

A basic example would be if a customer were at a restaurant and had two options for entrees -
chicken and steak. Which one would the consumer choose? They will likely choose the one
they like more or have more reason to buy.
Utility is an important concept in understanding consumer preference in economics and
marketing. Utility refers to the total satisfaction of consuming a good or service. It measures
how much satisfaction a consumer gets from consuming a good or service. Utility theory was
first introduced by Alfred Marshall in his book "Principles of Economics" in 1890.

Consumer Preference Assumptions

Assumptions are fundamental to the way people think about and make decisions.
Assumptions are the mental shortcuts that people use to make said decisions. They can help a
person understand the world and make sense of it, but they also have limitations.
There are three types of assumptions: completeness, transitivity, and non-satiation.

● Completeness: Completeness assumes that consumers have all the information they
need to make an informed decision, both about the product and their own desires.

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Consumer preference:

Consumer preference is a term that refers to consumers' choices to maximise their

satisfaction. Consumers have some degree of control over the type of goods they buy, but
they cannot always choose what they want.
Consumer preference is a theory that has been around for decades. It has been used to explain
the behaviour of consumers. Consumer preference can be applied in many different ways,
such as marketing, advertising, product design, etc.
The theory states that consumers are influenced by their own preferences, the preferences of
others, and the context in which they make decisions. Consumers are also influenced by
social norms and cultural values, which can be seen as social pressure to conform to certain
behaviours or beliefs
In economics, consumer preference is a concept that refers to the choices consumers make to
maximise their satisfaction. Consumers have some degree of control over the type of goods
they buy, but they cannot always choose what they want.
Consumer preference is a key factor in the economy. It is one of the most important factors
influencing demand, supply, and price.

A basic example would be if a customer were at a restaurant and had two options for entrees -
chicken and steak. Which one would the consumer choose? They will likely choose the one
they like more or have more reason to buy.
Utility is an important concept in understanding consumer preference in economics and
marketing. Utility refers to the total satisfaction of consuming a good or service. It measures
how much satisfaction a consumer gets from consuming a good or service. Utility theory was
first introduced by Alfred Marshall in his book "Principles of Economics" in 1890.

Consumer Preference Assumptions

Assumptions are fundamental to the way people think about and make decisions.
Assumptions are the mental shortcuts that people use to make said decisions. They can help a
person understand the world and make sense of it, but they also have limitations.
There are three types of assumptions: completeness, transitivity, and non-satiation.

● Completeness: Completeness assumes that consumers have all the information they
need to make an informed decision, both about the product and their own desires.
● Transitivity: Transitivity assumes that if A happens then, B will happen as well.
● Non-Satiation: Non-satiation assumes that if one person has X amount of something,
it does not mean they will not want more options.

In the world of marketing, assumptions are made all the time. For example, when a company
wants to create a new product or service, they might assume that consumers will like it
without testing it first. This assumption is an example of a completeness assumption - if
something is assumed, then that means it has already been done somehow.

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Transitivity assumptions are when people assume that if one thing is true, then another thing
must be true as well. For example, if someone thinks that their favourite sports team will win,
they might assume their favourite team will win the championship or vice versa.
The assumption type, non-satiation, assumes that consumers want to choose from dozens of
options. For example: if a consumer comes into the store looking for a specific brand of bread
out of stock, they want to have other bread brands from which to choose .

Many companies have recognized the importance of customer preference theory in recent
years. They have started using customer data to improve their products and services. For
example, Amazon uses customer data to make sure its customers are happy with their
purchases.
Customer preferences can be used in many ways, such as:

- understanding what customers want from a product or service;

- creating new products or services based on what customers want;
- improving the quality of existing products or services.

To determine consumer preference, Consumer preference theory is a theory that explains how
consumers make decisions. It is based on the idea that consumers are rational and will choose
the product or service they believe will satisfy their needs.
The theory has been used in marketing for decades to help companies understand what
products and services consumers prefer. It can also be used to determine whether a product or
service is worth an investment.
There are many different ways to determine consumer preferences, such as surveys,
interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic research.

1.2: INTRODUCTION TO THE INDUSTRY:

The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organisations involved in
the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, repairing, and modifying of
motor vehicles.It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such as in
France up to 40 % to countries like Slovakia). It is also the industry with the highest spending
on research & development per firm. The word automotive comes from the Greek autos
(self), and Latin motivus (of motion), referring to any form of self-powered vehicle.This
term, as proposed by Elmer Sperry(1860–1930), first came into use with reference to
automobiles in 1898.

The automotive industry began in the 1860s with hundreds of manufacturers that pioneered
the horseless carriage. For many decades, the United States led the world in total automobile
production. In 1929, before the Great Depression, the world had 32,028,500 automobiles in
use, and the U.S. automobile industry produced over 90% of them. At that time, the U.S. had
one car per 4.87 persons.After 1945, the U.S. produced about 75 percent of world's auto
production. In 1980, the U.S. was overtaken by Japan and then became a world leader again

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in 1994. In 2006, Japan narrowly passed the U.S. in production and held this rank until 2009,
when China took the top spot with 13.8 million units. With 19.3 million units manufactured
in 2012, China almost doubled the U.S. production of 10.3 million units, while Japan was in
third place with 9.9 million units.[5] From 1970 (140 models) over 1998 (260 models) to
2012 (684 models), the number of automobile models in the U.S. has grown exponentially.

Early car manufacturing involved manual assembly by a human worker. The process evolved
from engineers working on a stationary car, to a conveyor belt system where the car passed
through multiple stations of more specialized engineers. Starting in the 1960s, robotic
equipment was introduced to the process, and today most cars are produced largely with
automated machinery.

Safety is a state that implies being protected from any risk, danger, damage, or cause of
injury. In the automotive industry, safety means that users, operators, or manufacturers do not
face any risk or danger coming from the motor vehicle or its spare parts. Safety for the
automobiles themselves implies that there is no risk of damage.

Safety in the automotive industry is particularly important and therefore highly regulated.
Automobiles and other motor vehicles have to comply with a certain number of regulations,
whether local or international, in order to be accepted on the market. The standard ISO
26262, is considered one of the best practice frameworks for achieving automotive functional
safety.

In case of safety issues, danger, product defect, or faulty procedure during the manufacturing
of the motor vehicle, the maker can request to return either a batch or the entire production
run. This procedure is called product recall. Product recalls happen in every industry and can
be production-related or stem from raw materials.

Product and operation tests and inspections at different stages of the value chain are made to
avoid these product recalls by ensuring end-user security and safety and compliance with the
automotive industry requirements. However, the automotive industry is still particularly
concerned about product recalls, which cause considerable financial consequences.

1.3 : OVERVIEW OF 4-WHEELERS IN INDIA:

In India, owning a four-wheeler was always considered the biggest luxury, after owning a
home which comes both in necessity for some and luxury for others. But with time and the
increase in consumption power, owning a car has slowly but surely becoming an item of
necessity. It is no more a symbol of only status as it was earlier.
1897 was the year when the first car ran on the streets of India. And for a considerable period
of time after that, cars were only imported and sold in India. At that time in India, most of the
luxury cars were only owned by royalty or public figures of importance. One of the oldest 4-
Wheeler manufacturers, Hindustan Motors was launched in the year 1942. Its competitor,

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Premier Ltd (formerly The Premier Automobiles Limited) was established in the year 1944.
Mahindra & Mahindra was established in the year 1945 by two brothers.
Anyways, the growth of the 4-Wheeler Industry in India was relatively slow in the ’50s to
’70s. It was only post-economic liberalization in 1992, the Indian automobile market started
to open up. Global majors like Toyota, Hyundai, Suzuki, etc., were allowed to invest in India

Over the last decade, the four-wheeler market in India has been the fastest-growing in its
segment. Nearly 4 million units of vehicles were sold in the year 2019 and are expected to
grow at a rapid pace. Automobile export grew at a rapid rate of 14.5% during FY 19 in India.
The growth in the consumption of Electric vehicles (EV) has been commendable. It
witnessed a growth of 20% to reach 1.56 lakh units in 2019-20.
Further, if you closely look into the sales of the 4-Wheeler companies in India, Maruti
Suzuki, Hyundai and Mahindra are clearly the leaders. They are followed by Tata, Honda and
Toyota.

India, being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, the segments like automobile,
agriculture, textile, real estate, etc., plays a big role towards its growth. In addition, the help
and support provided by the government in these sectors have been immense. Indian
automotive market has remained one of the highest potential auto markets in the world. In
2019, the 4-Wheeler Industry in India was ranked fourth (taking over Germany) and is
expected to take surpass Japan by the end of 2021

The automotive industry in India is the fourth-largest by production in the world as per 2021
statistics.In 2022, India became fourth largest country in the world by valuation of
automotive industry. As of 2022, India is the 3rd largest automobile market in the world,
surpassing Japan and Germany in terms of sales.

Currently India's auto industry is worth of more than US$100 billion and contributes 8% of
the country's total export and accounts for 2.3% of India's GDP.[5] India's major automobile
manufacturing companies includes Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra &
Mahindra, Force Motors, Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, Eicher Motors, Royal
Enfield, Sonalika Tractors, Hindustan Motors, Hradyesh, ICML, Kerala Automobiles
Limited, Reva, Pravaig Dynamics, Premier, Tara International and Vehicle Factory Jabalpur.

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1.4: INTRODUCTION TO VOLKSWAGEN:

Volkswagen (German pronunciation: abbreviated as VW is a German motor vehicle

manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the
German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-World War
II by the British Army Officer Ivan Hirst, it is known for the iconic Beetle and serves as the
flagship brand of the Volkswagen Group, the largest automotive manufacturer by worldwide
sales in 2016 and 2017.The group's biggest market is in China, which delivers 40 percent of
its sales and profits.Its name is derived from the German-language terms Volk and Wagen,
translating to "people's car" when combined.

1.5: IN THE BEGINNING:

History:

The company was originally operated by the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront), a
Nazi organisation. The Austrian automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche, who was
responsible for the original design of the car, was hired by the German Labour Front in 1934,
and ground was broken for a new factory in the state of Lower Saxony in 1938. The outbreak
of World War II in 1939 occurred before mass production could begin, and the factory was
repurposed to produce military equipment and vehicles. Volkwagen’s military involvement
made its factory a target for Allied bombers, and by the end of the war the factory was in
ruins. It was rebuilt under British supervision, and mass production of the Volkswagen began
in 1946. Control of the company was transferred in 1949 to the West German government
and the state of Lower Saxony. By that time, more than half of the passenger cars produced in
the country were Volkswagens.
Volkswagen production expanded rapidly in the 1950s. The company introduced the
Transporter van in 1950 and the Karmann Ghia coupe in 1955. Sales abroad were generally
strong in most countries of export, but, because of the car’s small size, unusual rounded
appearance, and historical connection to Nazi Germany, sales in the United States were
initially sluggish. The car began to gain acceptance there as the 1950s progressed, however,
and Volkswagen of America was established in 1955. The American advertising agency
Doyle Dane Bernbach was hired to represent the brand in 1959, and the result was a
landmark advertising campaign that helped to popularize the car as the “Beetle” and
promoted its size and unconventional design as an advantage to the consumer. The campaign
was very successful, and the Beetle was for many years the most-popular imported
automobile in the United States. Although Volkswagen made many detail changes to the
Beetle, the basic rear-engine design and rounded shape remained the same. The company
developed other rear-engine models with more-modern styling and improved engineering, but
none were as successful as the Beetle.
Competition from small cars with more-modern designs and the company’s increasingly
troubled finances eventually dictated a change in corporate philosophy toward developing
more-contemporary and sportier car models. As a result, Volkswagen began phasing out its

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rear-engine cars in the 1970s, replacing them with front-engine front-wheel-drive designs.
The first of those new cars was the short-lived K70 in 1970, followed by the Passat in 1973.
Most significant, however, was the Golf, initially called the Rabbit in the United States,
which was introduced in 1974. The Golf was an instant sales success, effectively replacing
the Beetle in the company’s lineup and ultimately becoming Volkswagen’s best-selling
model worldwide.Joint ownership of Volkswagen by the West German government and the
state of Lower Saxony continued until 1960, when the company was mostly denationalized
with the sale of 60 percent of its stock to the public. Since the 1950s Volkswagen has
operated plants throughout much of the world, including in Mexico, Brazil, China, and the
United States. In addition to passenger cars, the company also produces vans and commercial
vehicles. Volkswagen owns several other automotive companies, including Audi and Porsche
in Germany, SEAT (Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo) in Spain, Škoda in the
Czech Republic, Bentley in the United Kingdom, Lamborghini in Italy, and Bugatti in
France.In mid-2015 Volkswagen briefly held the distinction of being the world’s largest car
manufacturer by volume after surpassing Toyota Motor Corporation. However, shortly
thereafter Volkswagen faced a public relations crisis when the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) determined that the manufacturer’s diesel-powered cars contained software
that altered the vehicle’s performance in order to pass emissions tests. Volkswagen admitted
to installing the “defeat device,” and it recalled more than 10 million automobiles worldwide.
In the United States alone, the carmaker faced fines of more than $4 billion, and several
Volkswagen officials later were found guilty of various crimes. Despite the scandal,
Volkswagen sales worldwide continued to increase.

Infrastructure and technology:

The rise of autonomous, electric and connected vehicles will fundamentally change how cars
are designed and constructed, even allowing them to be made out of materials such as paper
and bamboo.

That’s the view of Peter Wouda, Volkswagen Group’s design director, who leads the car
giant’s Future Centre in Europe. That centre is focused on developing forward-looking
technology such as last year’s autonomous Sedric concept.

While much of the car industry’s efforts are currently focused on semi-autonomous driver
assistance technology, Wouda is looking further ahead to fully autonomous cars, which
wouldn’t require any driver input.

The styling of cars from individual VW Group brands must continue to be different in the
future, according to VW Group design boss Wouda.

“Brands exude a certain image, a lifestyle and trust, and those brand values are experienced
through cars,” he said.

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“Design is increasingly important because if you look at an Audi or a Mercedes or a BMW,
there is not an awful lot different between them [from a technical perspective]. A brand’s
design has to be very sharp.” VW Group’s car brands meet at regular intervals to show future
models to each other to ensure designs aren’t too similar.

“It’s important to bring cars together to realise if something is such a global trend that we all
have designed the same light graphic, for example,” added Wouda.

“If that happens, it’s a case of deciding which brand suits the best and which brand can
change something to make it more individual.”

Manufacturing:

Volkswagen produces millions of vehicles around the globe every year. In spring 2021, the
Group's production network will comprise 118 locations worldwide, of which 70 plants
manufacture cars - around 40,000 units per day. The Volkswagen brand is a strong base in
this global network, with 49 manufacturing plants for vehicles and components.

Out of the 49 plants, 15 plants (excluding China) are responsible for the "Production and
Logistics" division of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. Here, the well-known models
such as the Golf, Tiguan, Touareg, Passat and the new all-electric ID. family roll off the
production line. The factories in China are run by the two joint ventures FAW-Volkswagen
and SAIC Volkswagen
The entire automotive industry is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation -
towards electro mobility. At Volkswagen, the transformation is in full swing already. After
Zwickau with the production of the ID.302 and ID.403, the Emden site is currently being
converted into the brand's pure e-production plant in Germany. Also, Chattanooga is
preparing for the start-up of the ID.4. In addition, more and more locations are becoming
multi-brand plants within the Group.
An important element of the production strategy is the "Zero Impact Factory" initiative:
Volkswagen's comprehensive, ambitious program aims to make production more ecological
and sustainable. Since 2010, the brand has implemented around 9,000 individual measures
across all its plants worldwide to reduce emissions, avoid waste and use resources such as
water and electricity more efficiently

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1.6: Company profile:

Volkswagen AG (Volkswagen), a subsidiary of Porsche Automobil Holding SE, is an

automobile manufacturer. The company develops vehicles and engines, and produces and
sells passenger cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles, light commercial vehicles, genuine parts,
turbomachinery, large-bore diesel engines, propulsion components, special gear units and
testing systems. It also provides leasing, banking and insurance, dealer and customer
financing, and fleet management and mobility services. Volkswagen markets products under
brands such as Volkswagen, Porsche, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley, Audi, Ducati, Scania
and Cupra. It has operations in Europe, North America, South America, Asia Pacific and
other regions. The company has production facilities across the world. Volkswagen is
headquartered in Wolfsburg, Niedersachsen, Germany

Industry : Automotive
Former type : Public listed company
Founder: German labour front
Products: Golf , Polo, jetta, Passat ,Virtus, Tiguan, Tayron and other commercial vehicles
also
Areas served: Worldwide
Headquarters: Wolfsburg, germany
Found on : 1937
Website : https://www.volkswagen.com/

1.7: VISION AND MISSION

Vision:

Volkswagen's vision statement is “to make this world a mobile, sustainable place with access
to all the citizens.” The focus of this company in this statement is initiating mobility changes
across the world through its products

Mission:

● Our goal is to be an industry leader in providing unmatched quality automotive

products and services.
● We will constantly strive to meet the changing needs of our customers.
● Our aim is to provide an atmosphere that encourages employee teamwork, integrity,
and excellence.

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 ● Together we will set and continually improve sales, service, and operational standards
to ensure long-term market leadership.
● It is our mission to exceed our customers' and employees' expectations and maintain
their loyalty for a lifetime

1.8: NEED F0R THE STUDY:

● The purpose of this research is to understand consumer's various preferences for

purchasing Volkswagen car. Consumer preference for a product can make or break a
company. If consumers like a product, it can stay around for years and sell millions in
numbers. However, if consumers do not like the product, it could disappear very
quickly from the market if the company cannot figure out how to fix the problem.
● Automotive industry is entering into a new phase of its development and evolution. It
is witnessing a silent paradigm shift, the result of which will be visible in the next ten
years.
● The low penetration level of cars in India coupled with rise in the disposable income
of its working population has made it an attractive destination for global
automobile manufacturers. Therefore it is of utmost importance for Indian
companies in particular to know consumer preferences while they are buying
Volkswagen cars for the improvement of the company .
● This study offers and validates a comprehensive approach to explain and predict the
beliefs influencing consumer needs and the motivations behind their purchase
decisions.
● The study aims at understanding the consumers purchase intentions on the basis of
responses given by the respondents.

1.9: STATEMENT OR THE PROBLEM:

In the emerging knowledge-based economy, has become necessary to know how much
market power lies with the consumer preference towards the product . Since your consumer
preferences are dynamic and continuously changing, you need a method to collect and update
them. Some of the most effective ways to accomplish this are to identify who your consumers
are, meet your customers where they are, pay attention to customer feedback, and perform
consumer research. It is very important Knowing consumer preference equips you to achieve
guaranteed customer satisfaction, effective marketing strategies, improved brand image, and
customer loyalty.

1.10: OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

©️To know the effective factors of awareness and preferring VOLKSWAGEN

cars.

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Secondary objective:
©️To Study and analyse the Promotional Strategies of VOLKSWAGEN
• To know whether the customers are satisfied with the offers given by the
dealer.
• To know which kind of offers can attract the new customers.
©️To find the area to be improved.
To find the reasons for the dissatisfaction.
To know the influence of various Marketing Strategies, Promotional Activities
towards the customers of LUXURIES CARS

1.11: LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

The information given in the above part is based on market survey, meeting with
the people, and phone calls, and other mediums like the internet. My project is based
upon the interaction with the people.
© We have to target only a particular segment (higher class & upper middle class)
• Sometimes customers don't give time.
• Sometimes customers give fake information.
• Customers like doctors don't have much time to visit showroom for test drive so
we have to go to them at the time at which they are free.

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 CHAPTER:2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

In research, a body of literature is a collection of published information and data relevant to a

research question. A review of the literature is an essential part of the academic research
project. The Review is a careful examination of the body of literature pointing toward the
answer to the research question.
The literature reviewed typically includes scholarly journals, scholarly books, authoritative
databases and primary sources. Sometimes it includes newspapers, magazines, other books,
films, and audio and video tapes, and other secondary sources. The purpose of the literature
review remains the same regardless of the research method we use. It tests the research
question against what already is known about our subject. Through the literature review we
shall discover whether our research question already has been answered by someone else. If it
has, we must change or modify our question.

1. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska (2022)

Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) are an important element of sustainable development and
electromobility. Even though the analysis of consumers’ preferences towards AFV has
already been done in various countries, the point of view of consumers from the country
representing Central and Eastern Europe was missing. Within our complex, two stages survey
(CATI and CAWI) we used the conjoint method to compare and balance the important
factors responsible for consumers’ preferences towards AFV, in one study, allowing a
relative assessment to be made. As a result, we got 6 separate conjoints (depending on the
type of purchase: direct purchase or leasing) and the type of vehicle (HEV, PHEV and BEV).
Although each conjoint contains different sets of factors, the methodological regime is
followed. The study is conducted on a large group of Polish respondents (N=1002 and
N=500), and the choice of factors is based on a broad CATI survey. Our results indicate that
surprisingly safety is the most important feature of a good AFV car. Then, the price, range
and type of the car also matter. These findings recommend car manufactures and policy
makers what they should focus on while designing and promoting AFV.

2. Elham Allahmoradi, Saeed Mirzamohammad ali , et.al (2022)

Given the various advantages of electric vehicles compared to conventional gasoline vehicles
in terms of energy efficiency and environmental pollution (among others), this paper stands
the factors affecting customers’ willingness to purchase electric vehicles. An integrated
discrete choice and agent-based approach is applied to model the customers’ choice for the
valuation of electric vehicles based on the internal reference price. The agent-based model
evaluates customers’ preferences for a number of personal and vehicle attributes, according
to which vehicle they chose. Data from 376 respondents are collected to estimate a random-
parameter logit model where customers are asked to reveal their preferences about five

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attributes of electric vehicles, including travel range, top speed, charge cost, government
incentives, and price. The role of social networks of customers and their threshold purchase
price is also examined in the agent-based model. The scenario simulation results indicate that
the allocation of government incentives for electric vehicles, decreasing electric vehicle/non-
electric vehicle price gap, expanding electric vehicle travel range, increasing gasoline prices,
and enhancing electric vehicle top speed stimulate electric vehicle market shares,
respectively.

3. Felix Eggers, Fabian Eggers, (2022)

Autonomous cars are considered to be the next disruptive innovation that will affect
consumers. It can be expected that not only traditional automakers will enter this market (e.g.,
Ford) but also technology companies (e.g., Google) and newer companies dedicated to self-
driving cars (e.g., Tesla). We take a brand extension perspective and analyze to what extent
consumers prefer autonomous cars from these brand categories. Our empirical study is based
on discrete choice experiments about adopting autonomous vehicles in a purchase scenario
and in a renting context. Our findings show that brands play a central role when making
autonomous driving decisions. Brand preferences differ systematically when buying versus
renting a self-driving car. While technology brands are most preferred overall, consumers
favour automaker brands over new brands only when purchasing, not when renting. We
further disentangle the brand strength into the marginal effects of image associations. For
example, Google’s strong brand positioning can be explained by experiences with the parent
brand, but it could still improve brand strength by highlighting the relevance of the associated
brand portfolio for self-driving cars. The effect of these brand extension success factors
differs between parent-brand categories and also between the renting and purchasing
scenarios, which requires dedicated brand management.

4. Girish B Pawar,(2022)

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically alters the course of business & industries all over the
world. Global as well as Indian automotive Industry exposed to deep economic impact in
terms of production, investment, and automotive supply chains. It alters buying behaviour of
consumers. However, this industry quickly adapt to changes & came back on track faster than
normal. Buying behaviour is a crucial aspect of demand for any product. It involves a
combination of various factors such as Economics, Technology & the psychological
involvement of consumers. It shows traits of the consumer through his perception of a
product, quality, price, income, likes & dislikes, and very important lifestyle. Understanding
buyer’s psychology becomes a complex process nowadays, after a pandemic there seems to
be New Normal behaviour everywhere such as new ways of interaction, ways of working &
work timings, earning sources, future income & savings calculations. Today spending
patterns, isolation & social behaviour have witnessed a lot of changes as compared to the
behavioural pattern of the same consumer prior to the pandemic. As life is emerging to a
normal state, which has resulted in drastic changes in demand for the automotive industry in
India. This paper is an attempt to focus on the analysis of changes in consumers’ New

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Normal Behaviour for buying cars which redefine demand, the shape of the Indian
Automotive Industry, especially after a pandemic that drove a boost in this industry.

5. Sehoon Kim, Timothy Paul Connerton, Jeong Yeol Park(2022)

This study aims to identify the drivers in BOPS (Buy Online & Pick up in Store) usage
intention of omnichannel consumers in the automotive retail sector. The study proposes a
conceptual framework, extended UTAUT-TTF, synthesizing various theoretical perspectives
and revealing the mechanism behind consumer behavior. The research surveyed 436 potential
custors in South Korea, incorporating a factorial survey method. The findings suggest that
Performance expectancy, Effort expectancy, and Facilitating conditions have a mediation
effect through Task-technology fit affecting Usage intention. The results also support the
influences of decisive factors in predicting the consumers' preferences to use BOPS. Social
influence, however, did not present a significant effect on Usage intention. Personal
innovativeness, selected for the extension of UTAUT, was the strongest predictor for the
customer's BOPS usage intention. The research contributes to future technology acceptance
literature, proposing that UTAUT-TTF can serve an essential role in predicting consumer
behaviour.

6. Jihyeok Jung, Sangmin Yeo,(2021)

This paper presents a stated preference study of electric vehicles (EVs) in the Korean
automobile market based on the survey data, which was conducted in February 2018 in
Korea. The purpose of this study is to analyse empirically the factors related to the
consumers' attitudes toward environmental issues and vehicle attributes that significantly
affect the EV preferences of potential Korean consumers. We categorised the survey into two
parts: discrete car choice questionnaire and consumers' attitude questionnaire. A total of 1251
respondents were asked to choose their preferred vehicle type between internal combustion
engine vehicle and electric vehicle in a discrete car choice questionnaire. Their attitude
toward environmental issues and vehicle attributes were revealed in the attitude
questionnaire. A hybrid choice model is used to jointly integrate Korean consumers' attitudes
and their choice decisions. As a result, we figured out that consumers who favour EVs are
sensitive to environmental pollution issues, especially in vehicle pollution, and place high
importance on the future value of automobiles and less importance on vehicle aesthetics
when purchasing a car. Also, economic factors such as purchase price and charger subsidies,
and charging infrastructure are necessary for successful EV adoption in Korea, with the
possibility of a positive externality effect of using EV

7. Prateek Bansal, Rajeev Ranjan Kumar,, (2021)

Consumer preference elicitation is critical to devise effective policies for the diffusion of
electric vehicles (EVs) in India. This study contributes to the EV demand literature in the
Indian context by (a) analysing the EV attributes and attitudinal factors of Indian car buyers
that determine consumers' preferences for EVs, (b) estimating Indian consumers' willingness

14
to pay (WTP) to buy EVs with improved attributes, and c) quantifying how the reference
dependence affects the WTP estimates. We adopt a hybrid choice modelling approach for this
study. The results indicate that accounting for reference dependence provides more realistic
WTP estimates than the standard utility estimation approach. Our results suggest that Indian
consumers are willing to pay an additional US$10–34 in the purchase price to reduce the fast
charging time by 1 min, US$7–40 to add a kilometre to the driving range of EVs at 200 km,
and US$104–692 to save US$1 per 100 km in operating cost. These estimates and the effect
of attitudes on the likelihood to adopt EVs provide insights about EV design, marketing
strategies, and pro-EV policies (e.g., specialised lanes and reserved parking for EVs) to
expedite the adoption of EVs in India.

8. Som Sekhar Bhattacharyya, Shreyash Thakre, (2021)

Originality/value: Generally, in extant research, either firm managers’ or customers’

perspectives are considered separately. This study deliberated upon the PPM framework and
switching intention accommodating both the industry and consumers’ perspectives. To the
best of the authors’ knowledge, this was, thus, one of the first research articles which
integrated insights from both the industry and consumers. This established the PPM
framework for understanding the adoption of EVs. Further, it helped in comprehending the
specific technological and psychological preferences of consumers regarding switching
intention toward EVs.

9. Zulfiqar Ali Lashari, Joonho (2021)

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been developed as an efficient solution to reduce automobile
emissions. To ensure the effective diffusion of EVs in current transport systems, it is vital to
understand the factors affecting consumers’ intentions to purchase EVs. To provide insights
for this understanding, this study aims to investigate such factors with a particular focus on
users’ attitudes and perceptions. A questionnaire survey was conducted in September 2019
among potential consumers in the major cities of South Korea. A total of 1500 valid survey
responses were obtained, and investigations using binary logistic regression and regression
tree were conducted for an empirical analysis. The results showed that among attitudinal
attributes, environmental and economic perceptions concerning EV use were the strongest
predictors for an EV purchase. In addition, technological concerns were found to have
negative impacts on EV purchase intentions. The findings of this study could provide
reasonable guidelines for establishing marketing strategies and serve as a reference for EV
stakeholders to improve the applicability of current policies regarding EV adoption.

10. Jing-Li Fan, Qian Wang(2020)

The Chinese government has enacted various incentives to promote the use of new energy
vehicles (NEVs), mainly battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel
cell vehicles. In this study, we analyze whether consumer preferences for NEVs changed

15
between 2012 and 2017 and explored explanatory factors through questionnaire surveys
conducted in the two years. The comparative results revealed four main findings. First,
consumer acceptance of NEVs increased substantially between 2012 and 2017. Second,
factors such as economic benefits, performance attributes, environmental awareness, and
government policies were important in determining consumer acceptance of NEVs in both
2017 and 2012. New factors, including infrastructure construction and social influence, were
shown to have had significant impacts on NEV acceptance by potential purchasers in 2017.
Third, government policies had the most significant direct impact on NEV acceptance in
2017. Fourth, the indirect effects of government policies on consumer acceptance of NEVs
are not strong but statistically significant, via government-promoted environmental awareness
functioning as a mediating mechanism.

11. Urwah Khan, Toshiyuki Yamamoto, (2020)

After the successful adoption and deployment of electric vehicles in Norway with the support
of generous government-led incentives, several other countries began introducing policy
incentives for environmentally-friendly vehicles. In light of Japan’s goal of becoming a
hydrogen society, this paper examines the preferences of Japanese citizens for hydrogen fuel
cell vehicles (HFCVs) through a stated preference discrete choice experiment involving
carefully chosen vehicle attributes and incentives. To this end, it uses mixed logit model on
the choice scenario data to elicit the behavioral responses. Governmental incentives such as
free public parking and free public transport significantly impact the preferences for HFCVs.
In terms of socio-demographic characteristics, education and apartment parking remarkably
affect the adoption of HFCVs. Although the preference of Japanese consumers for HFCVs is
significantly lower than that for conventional vehicles, a well-designed package of policy
incentives involving free public parking and public transport can drive Japan’s push for
HFCVs in the long run.

12. Afzaal Ali, Guo Xiaoling, (2019)

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of status motivation on customers'
purchase intention of a green‐luxury car associated with owning a green‐luxury car, and
whether materialism and horizontal–vertical individualism/collectivism moderate this
relationship. The quantitative research methodology using online survey technique was used
to collect cross‐cultural data from respondents (507) from China and Germany. Purposive
sampling technique was used to identify and collect data from current and prospective
customers of the BMW brand. Collected data were analysed using structural equation
modeling (SEM). The results demonstrated that materialism and cultural value (horizontal–
vertical collectivism and vertical individualism) can serve as moderators of the effects of
status motivation and purchase intention of the green‐luxury car. Although some studies have
explored the factors involved in customer purchasing behaviour for green‐luxury products,
our results theoretically and empirically show that materialism, vertical individualism,
horizontal collectivism, and vertical collectivism enhance the positive effects of status
motivation on customer purchasing behaviour for a green‐luxury car.

16
 13. Francesco Manta, Domenico Morrone, Pierluigi Toma(2019)

After the Volkswagen ‘Dieselgate’, a new green-washing issue arose for the car market: the
high-tech green-washing. The present paper aims at studying the behaviour of car buyers in
front of the trade-off between product attractiveness and sustainability issues. We conducted
a cluster analysis based on the results of a qualitative research, in order to capture the effect
of environmental consciousness on car buyers, especially interested in Volkswagen products.
The results tell us that people are concerned by environmental issues, but are not really
informed, nor do they behave in a green way. Moreover, the managerial implications are
relative to the development of a product line more targeted to middle-upper class consumers,
which turned out to be more aware of sustainability

14. Jui-Che Tu, Chun Yang Sustainability (2019)

Although the rapid progress of the global economy and technology has advanced human
civilization, it has also caused tremendous damage to the global ecological environment.
Therefore, humans are thinking seriously about the environment and its sustainable
development. One of the solutions to environmental problems is new energy vehicles. Since
the promulgation of the “Energy Saving and New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan
(2012–2020)” by the General Office of the State Council, the Chinese government has
determined a strategy of pure electric driving technology. The electric vehicle market in
China has expanded rapidly, making China the largest electric vehicle market in the world.
Hence, research on the situation of electric vehicles in China is highly necessary and of
reference value for other countries to develop electric vehicles. As a result, it is a critical
issue to develop low-carbon, energy-saving, and intelligent electric vehicles to reduce the
environmental impact. This paper establishes a theoretical framework based on the theory of
planned behavior (TPB), technology acceptance model (TAM) and innovation diffusion
theory (IDT), and explores the key factors influencing consumers’ purchase of electric
vehicles. The results show that: The application of the key factor model constructed in this
study to consumers’ behavioral intention regarding electric vehicle purchase is acceptable.
According to the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis results, (1) In terms of
behavioral intention: Consumers’ control over the resources required to purchase electric
vehicles has the highest influence on their behavioral intention, while consultation opinions
from consumers’ surroundings also significantly affect their behavioral intention to purchase
electric vehicles. In addition, consumers’ environment(2) In terms of attitude toward
behavior: When consumers believe that electric vehicles are more beneficial at the individual,
environment or national level, or they believe that the usage of electric vehicles is simpler
and more convenient, they will show a more positive attitude towards the purchase of electric
vehicles. Consumers consider electric vehicles as forward-looking technology products with
similar driving operation and usage cost compared to traditional vehicles. (3) In terms of
regulations: The opinions of consumers’ family members, friends, colleagues or supervisors
do not significantly affect the attitude or behavior of consumers regarding electric vehicle
purchase. The key factors influencing consumers’ purchase of electric vehicles are not only

17
applicable to the design and development of electric vehicles that better suit consumer
demands, but also serve as a theoretical basis for the popularization of electric vehicles, and
provide a reference for consumers’ choice and purchase. Therefore, the government and
relevant manufacturers need to consider increasing the publicity of electric vehicles and
launch more attractive battery and charging schemes to attract consumers and promote the
sustainable development of the automobile industry

15. Lixian Qian, Jose M Grisolía, (2019)

This research focuses on the effects of different types of service attributes and context-based
government policies, along with product attributes, on Chinese consumers’ adoption of
electric vehicles (EVs). Based on a stated choice experiment involving over 1000 respondents
in different cities of China, a mixed logit (MXL) model shows that typical product attributes
are consistently important for potential car buyers, but that charging service has a mixed
effect, depending on the level of service provision and speed. Specifically, the availability of
a home charging facility has the strongest influence on consumers’ choice to purchase EVs,
and the service speed of public fast service stations is also significant. In relation to
government policies, this study finds that in addition to government subsidy, free licensing
policy for EVs is very attractive for consumers, compared to the lottery-based licensing for
conventional petrol vehicles (PVs). We find that Chinese consumers have the highest
willingness to pay for obtaining a free vehicle license for EVs (106,144 RMB on average)
and being permitted to install a home charging post (91,039 RMB on average). Our findings
imply the importance of considering consumers’ perceived inconvenience associated with
using EVs compared to buying and using conventional PVs. Furthermore, policy makers
should consider the heterogeneous preference towards EVs when designing intervention
policies in the Chinese market.

16. Milad Ghasri, Ali Ardeshiri,( 2019)

Relative advantage, or the degree to which a new technology is perceived to be better than an
existing technology which is being replaced, has a significant impact on individuals’
decisions on when, how and to what extent to adopt. An integrated choice and latent variable
model is used, in this paper, to explicitly measure the perceived advantages in electric
vehicles over the conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. The analysed data is
obtained from a stated preference survey including 1076 residents in New South Wales,
Australia. According to the results, the latent component of the model disentangles the
perceived advantages across three dimensions of vehicle design, impact on the environment,
and safety. These latent variables are interacted with price, driving range and body type,
respectively, to capture the impact of perception on preference. The developed model is then
used to examine the effectiveness of different support schemes on Millennials (Gen Y), the
generation before them (Gen X) and after them (Gen Z). The results show higher probability
of adopting electric vehicles for Gen Y, compared to Gen X and Z. Gen Y is found to be the
least sensitive cohort to purchase price, and Gen X to be the most sensitive cohort to this
attribute. People are more sensitive to incentives for the initial price compared to ongoing

18
incentives for operating costs. Also, offering financial incentives to consumers as a rebate on
the purchase price is more effective than allocating the same incentive to manufacturers to
reduce the purchase price

17. Ridwan Adetunji Raji, Sabrina Rashid, (2019)

Purpose of This study aims to answer an important question of how brand-related

communications, including advertising and sales promotion contents, which are disseminated
on social media platforms, can enhance positive brand image and evoke favourable
behavioural intention from consumers

18. David L McCollum, Charlie Wilson,et.al(2018)

Burgeoning demands for mobility and private vehicle ownership undermine global efforts to
reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Advanced vehicles powered by low-carbon
sources of electricity or hydrogen offer an alternative to conventional fossil-fuelled
technologies. Yet, despite ambitious pledges and investments by governments and
automakers, it is by no means clear that these vehicles will ultimately reach mass-market
consumers. Here, we develop state-of-the-art representations of consumer preferences in
multiple global energy-economy models, specifically focusing on the non-financial
preferences of individuals. We employ these enhanced model formulations to analyse the
potential for a low-carbon vehicle revolution up to 2050. Our analysis shows that a diverse
set of measures targeting vehicle buyers is necessary to drive widespread adoption of clean
technologies. Carbon pricing alone is insufficient to bring low-carbon vehicles to the mass
market, though it may have a supporting role in ensuring a decarbonized energy supply.

19. Dhruv Mathur, Avdesh bharadwaj,(2018)

The automobile industry of India is one of the largest in the world and growing steadily each
year. With the ease of availability of automobile loans, therise in salary structures and higher
buying capacity of the middle income class, there has been a spurt in cars plying on roads.
The present paper indulges in studying the buying behaviour of cars in India. Apart from the
literature review of the concurrent facts and figures, a questionnaire survey was conducted to
understand the various factors that influence the decision in purchasing cars in India. A
questionnaire survey was designed in Google forms and sent to people using different tools
like e-mail, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. For those who were not well versed with these tools a
hard copy of the questionnaire was provided to them for filling up. The results of the survey
were analysed statistically and are presented here.

19
 20. Fabio Carlucci, Andrea Cirà(2018)

Solving the problem of the lack of environmental sustainability in transport activities requires
the involvement of new technologies, particularly in populated cities where mobility
activities play a major role in generating externalities. The move from cars powered by
conventional internal combustion engines to cars powered by alternative energies can make
an important contribution to reducing emissions and achieving a more sustainable transport
system. Unfortunately, green car market development still remains uncertain because of the
higher production costs of batteries and engines. In this context, surprisingly little attention
has been devoted to analysing the economic factors affecting consumers’ behaviour in the
choice of hybrid electric vehicles. To fill this gap, the diffusion process of hybrid technology
as well as intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and the crowding-out effect on consumers’
purchasing decisions are taken under consideration. Finally, some policy recommendations
are provided

21. K Rajendran, J Jayakrishnan(2018)

This paper presents a study on consumer perceived risk towards their purchase decision to
buy automobiles in India, having knowledge of various aspects of consumer buying process
can help companies significantly when developing strategies to increase their market share,
while relying on two mechanism: enhancing the customer satisfaction or reducing the
customer perceived risk and also this paper aims to develop the empirically test a conceptual
model of consumer perceived risk for car purchase. It mentions results from regression
analysis which revealed positive link between the said factors with purchase decision. It also
provides a platform for automobile manufactures to understand consumer behaviour and its
impact on their decision to purchase.

22. Muhammad Abid Saleem, Lynne Eagle(2018)

A constantly changing environment and global warming are issues that are recognized at all
global forums. One of the major reasons for global warming is the emission of greenhouse
gasses which is primarily caused by use of personal cars as means of transport. This study
reports on the development of an eco-socially conscious consumer behavior (ESCCB) scale
specific to purchase and use of personal cars, based on samples of actual automobile
customers in Pakistan. Using mixed method approaches, the results of 3 studies yield a 9-item
three-dimensional scale (eco-social conservation, eco-social use, and eco-social purchase)
with satisfactory reliability, construct validity and nomological validity. Second-order factor
analysis revealed that eco-social purchase was the most important dimension, followed by
eco-conservation and eco-social use. A test of nomological behaviour shows that the scale is
positively associated with a related construct: environmental concern. This study advances
the literature on pro-environmental behaviors by introducing a conceptual definition of
ESCCB related to personal car purchase and use, developing a measure for the ESCCB
concept and validating the scale in the context of an emerging economy, Pakistan. The scale

20
provides important insights for marketers in the automobile industry for remodelling
marketing plans, as well as for environmentalists focusing on strategies to bring change in
consumer behaviour
23. Raji Ridwan Adetunji, Sabrina Mohd Rashid(2018)

Achieving brand equity are top priorities for many organisations because brand is one of the
most prized assets of any organization. As such, academia continues to exert considerable
efforts on understanding the factors that influence the development of brand equity. For
instance, previous studies have demonstrated that social media communication has significant
impact on Consumer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE), however, researchers have not really
focused on the relationships of several types of marketing communications anchored by
different social media platforms for brand equity. As such, the objective of this study is to
examine the relationships between the social media marketing communications, specifically,
user-generated type (Social Media Word-of-Mouth) and firm created types (Social Media
Advertising, Social Media Promotion and social media Interactive Marketing); and the CBBE
of automotive brands in Malaysia. Subsequently, 800 samples were selected through cluster
samplings from five cities in five geographical regions across Malaysia. Survey
questionnaires were administered to users of four types of automotive brands, namely;
PROTON, PERODUA, TOYOTA and HONDA. The data collected was analyzed using
descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regressions in SPSS 22. The findings revealed
that, the selected automotive brands have notable presence on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram
and Twitter. Furthermore, it was found that, social media advertising, social media
promotions and social media word-of-mouth have positive relationships with the CBBE of
automotive brands. However, social media interactive marketing has an insignificant role in
the CBBE. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed in this
paper.

24. Balakrishnan,(2017)

The automobile industry in India was highly protected in favour of domestic car
manufacturers till the late 1980s. The Government of India’s drastic shift towards economic
liberalisation and Foreign Direct Investment Policy transformed the automobile industry in
the early 1990s. The ensuing decade witnessed many foreign car manufacturers entering the
Indian automobile industry with their models and brands. World leaders in passenger cars
such as Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Ford, and Hyundai set up manufacturing hubs in
India, cashing on the liberalised Foreign Direct Investment Policy of the Government of
India. These manufacturers captured the hearts and minds of Indian car customers, with their
choice of car models with high technological and innovative product offerings, with quality
and reliability. This transformed the automobile scene from a seller’s market to buyer’s
market. Car customers had started developing their own personal preferences and purchasing
patterns, which were hitherto unknown in the Indian automobile segment. This study focused
on the influences of various attributes and factors in the consumer purchase behaviour of
passenger cars. The logistic modelling approach evaluated as to why the car customers prefer
different car segmented models in comparison to a base category model. The article

21
attempted to build a passenger car purchase modelling approach, to evaluate consumer
behavioural preferences, which eventually influences the purchase behaviour of passenger car
owners. The results of the research would contribute to the practical knowledge base of the
automobile industry, specifically to the passenger car segments. The model developed has
also a great contributory value addition, to the manufacturers and dealers, for evolving a
customised marketing strategy approach.

25. Christopher D Higgins, Moataz Mohamed(2017)

Electric vehicles (EVs) hold great promise for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, yet
achieving their environmental benefits depends on greater market uptake. While a growing
body of literature has sought to offer information on consumer stated preferences for EVs, to
date no research has examined how preferences for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery
electric vehicles are shaped by vehicle body size or type. The automobile market is
differentiated with vehicle attributes that respond to heterogeneous consumer demands. We
hypothesize that each bundle of attributes as it relates to vehicle body size also shapes
demand for EVs. Using a large primary dataset, we segment respondents according to their
preferred next vehicle body type (economy, intermediate, full-size sedan, luxury, minivan,
sport utility, and pickup). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) results show
significant differences in the socioeconomic, demographic, and psychological profile of
consumers across the seven vehicle segments. From this, discrete choice models detail how
vehicle type plays a significant role in the choice making behaviour of potential EV
consumers. While factors like age, education, and the importance of fuel economy and
reduced or eliminated emissions generally play a consistent role in improving the utility of
EVs, our results also reveal significant heterogeneity in choice of powertrain across vehicle
segments, with luxury and pickup buyers among the most distinct.

26. Fanchao Liao, Eric Molin(2017)

Widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) may contribute to the alleviation of problems
such as environmental pollution, global warming and oil dependency. However, the current
market penetration of EV is relatively low in spite of many governments implementing strong
promotion policies. This paper presents a comprehensive review of studies on consumer
preferences for EV, aiming to better inform policy-makers and give direction to further
research. First, we compare the economic and psychological approach towards this topic,
followed by a conceptual framework of EV preferences which is then implemented to
organise our review. We also briefly review the modelling techniques applied in the selected
studies. Estimates of consumer preferences for financial, technical, infrastructure and policy
attributes are then reviewed. A categorisation of influential factors for consumer preferences
into groups such as socio-economic variables, psychological factors, mobility condition,
social influence, etc. is then made and their effects are elaborated

27. Fei Xie, Zhenhong Lin(2017)

22
This study explored factors that affect market-driven compliance with both Corporate
Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas (GHG) standards (together called the
National Program) in the United States for phase I 2012–2016 and phase II 2017–2025. We
considered a consumer-choice-based simulation approach, using the MA3T model, to
estimate the market acceptance of fuel efficiency (FE) technologies and alternative fuel
technologies as reflected by new sales of light-duty vehicle (LDV). Because both full and
extremely low FE valuations are common in the literature, we use a moderate assumption of a
10-year perceived vehicle lifetime at a 7% annual discount rate in the baseline and include
both extreme views (5 years and 15 years) in the sensitivity analysis. The study focuses on
market-driven compliance and therefore excludes manufacturers’ cross-subsidization. The
model results suggest that the LDV industry is able to comply with both standards even
without cross-subsidization and with projected high technology cost, mainly thanks to the
multiple credit programs and technology advancements. The compliance robustness, while
encouraging, however is based on moderate market assumptions, such as Annual Energy
Outlook 2016 Reference oil price projection and moderate FE consumer valuation.
Sensitivity analysis results reveal two significant risk factors for compliance: low oil prices
and consumers’ FE undervaluation

28. Hillary Abraham, Chaiwoo Lee, (2017)

Autonomous vehicles and alternatives to driving: trust, preferences, and effects of age
New vehicle technologies and transportation alternatives offer the potential of expanded
mobility 2 solutions for users of all generations. While many industries are focused on
creating these 3 options, only limited research has explored their use, adoption, and appeal as
they apply to older 4 generations. An online survey was fielded in order to gather information
on satisfaction with 5 current in-vehicle technology, inclination to use differing levels of
automation, transportation 6 alternatives to driving your own car, and methods of learning to
use in-vehicle technology across 7 users of all ages. The survey found that respondents
reported generally being satisfied with 8 technology in their vehicles, but are not learning to
use the systems with their preferred methods 9 of learning. A majority of respondents
indicated a willingness to consider transportation 10 alternatives, but far fewer had taken
advantage of the alternatives in the past year. Older adult 11 respondents, in particular, are
not taking advantage of new mobility solutions at the levels that 12 they might. Finally, while
many older adults generally expressed a willingness to use some level 13 of automation, they
expressed less interested in full autonomy than younger drivers.

29. Beatriz Junquera, Blanca Moreno, (2016)

The history of the automotive industry was initially linked to electricity. However, the
combustion engines would become the dominant paradigm later. Nowadays, because of
several factors, the automotive industry has been researched on electric vehicles (EVs) for

23
several decades, although this industry will have to overcome important obstacles to
commercialise this kind of vehicles efficiently.
In this context, the main aim of this paper is to discover to what extent some issues are key to
explain consumers' willingness to buy an electric vehicle. We focus on consumers'
perceptions about technical specifications of electric cars, such as charging times, consumers'
perception of the price of the electric vehicle, driving range and drivers' ages, among others.
We design a survey in order to obtain some factors linked to consumers' profile which are
later crossed with their expectations to buy an electric vehicle. A logistic regression analysis
was conducted to explain the willingness to buy an electric car by using the information of
1245 Spanish respondents.
Our results indicate that the higher a consumer's perception of the price of electric vehicles
and the longer charging times are, the less a consumer's willingness to buy a new electric car
is.
The results are useful to define key elements linked to the most appropriate industrial policy
which helps companies promote the electric vehicle.

30. Craig Morton, Jillian Anable,(, 2016)

The diffusion of electric vehicles (EVs) is regarded as an important aspect of government

policy which aims to generate a transition to a low-carbon mobility system in the United
Kingdom and the wider European context. This paper investigates consumer demand for EVs
by examining the influence of consumer innovativeness alongside attitudes concerning the
functional capabilities of EVs over EV preferences. A conceptual framework is developed
and applied which includes measurements of innovativeness at both an adoptive level,
through an assessment of technology ownership, and at an innate level, by measuring a cohort
of psychological and sociological factors. Additionally, the framework incorporates
measurements of attitudes towards the functional performance of EVs to determine their
effect on preferences. Data has been collected through the application of a self-completion
household survey distributed over the cities of Dundee and Newcastle upon Tyne in the
United Kingdom. Results of the analysis indicate that adoptive innovativeness and attitudes
concerning the functional performance of EVs significantly affect preferences for plug-in
hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

31. Thilina DK, WMC Wanninayake(2015)

. Impact of key purchasing determinants on purchase intention of hybrid vehicle brands in Sri
Lanka, an empirical study. Journal of …, 2015
According to Researcher's knowledge, this is the first research on purchase intentions of
Hybrid Vehicles in Sri Lanka. This research has been done to determine the purchase
intention of Hybrid Vehicles in Sri Lanka. This research article focuses mainly on
determining the links between customer‘s environmental attitudes, subjective norms, price
perception, preferences, knowledge, perceived risk, intentions as well as expectations of the
customers given to the environment while buying a hybrid vehicle. The research survey

24
questionnaires were developed to get information for each and every aspect mentioned in the
objectives. To go deep into the study areas researcher referred to secondary data sources such
as other research studies that were done in Tokyo Japan and India. The data for the present
work has been collected personally by the researcher as well as helps has been taken from
others in getting structured non-disguised questionnaire filled properly. By using snowball
sampling, 200 survey questioners were distributed and 150 useable responses were taken into
this research. All the responses were collected online and taken to one database for the
purpose of analysis. For this study, respondents who were identified as―being in the market‖,
and other potential respondents who intended to purchase cars in the near future. After the
analysis has been done researcher has identified the impact of predetermined variables over
buying intention of Hybrids vehicles in Sri Lanka. As per the results, the researcher has also
come up with the managerial implications of the study and recommendations.

32. Tan Wee Lee, Santhi Govindan(2014)

The automotive industry is an important segment of the economy in any country as it links
industries and services. It is the key driver of any growing economy. It plays an important
role in growing the economy in each country and one way to strengthen the industry is to
improve consumer insight into vehicle buying behaviour. Besides, competitive pressure of
automotive companies arising in Malaysia has led the companies to look for an edge to be
competitive in the automotive industry. Both the local and foreign cars are competing to get
attention from the consumers. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the factors
influencing consumer buying behaviour towards national automobiles in the Malaysian
perspective. The independent variables in this study consist of four dimensions, namely
reliability, safety, fuel economy, and price. The sample sizes of this study are 171 out of 200
targeted respondents through online questionnaire with 85.5% return rate. The unit of
analysis for this research consists of individual potential car buyers in Kuala Lumpur. In
addition, this study focused on the determinant of consumers buying behaviour towards
national cars in Kuala Lumpur with their rapid growth in car ownership. It is clear that the
rapidly-expanding car market in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur is a direct product of
the spectacular economic performance of these areas. The car markets in Kuala Lumpur plays
a huge economic role towards the general development of Malaysia. The result is tested by
using descriptive (frequency analysis) and statistical analysis (reliability analysis, and simple
linear regression analysis). The result indicates that the three independent variables of car’s
reliability, safety, and price significantly influence consumer buying behaviour towards
national cars in Kuala Lumpur. The result can assist the Malaysian automotive companies to
increase their sales by focusing on those important factors.

25
 CHAPTER: lll

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

3.1 INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH:

Research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge. Once can also define
research as a scientific and systematic search for relevant information on a specific topic. In
fact, research is an art of scientific investigation. The study was Impact on customer
relationship management of Royal Enfield in Karur. Some people consider research as a
movement. It is actually a journey of finding. We all have the vital nature of questioning for,
when the unknown confronts us, we wonder and our questioning makes us search and attain
full and fuller understanding of the unknown (Redman and Mory). This questioning is the
mother of all knowledge and the method, which man employs for obtaining the knowledge of
whatever the unknown, can be termed as research. Research is an academic activity and as
such the term should be used in a technical sense.
Methodology is the systematic, theoretical analysis of the methods applied to a field of study.
It comprises the theoretical analysis of the body of methods and principles associated with a
branch of knowledge. Typically, it encompasses concepts such as theoretical model, phases
and quantitative or qualitative techniques. It includes universe of the study, sampling,
sampling techniques, method of data collection, primary data, secondary data, tools to be
used. Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be
understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. In it we study the
various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher in studying his research problem
along with the logic behind them. It is necessary for the researcher to know not only the
research methods but also the methodology.
Researchers not only need to know how to develop certain indices or tests, how to calculate
the mean, the mode, the median or the standard deviation or how to apply particular research
techniques, but they also need to know which of these methods or techniques, are relevant
and which are not, and what would they mean and indicate and why. Researchers also need to
understand the assumptions underlying various techniques and they need to know the criteria
by which they can decide that certain techniques and procedures will be applicable to certain
problems and others will not. All this means that it is necessary for the researcher to design
his/her methodology for his/her problem as the same may differ from problem to problem.

Research in common parlance refers to the search for knowledge. In short, the search for
knowledge through objective and systematic methods of findings the solutions to a problem
is
"research" As such the term 'research' refers to the systematic method consisting of
enunciating the problem formulating a hypothesis, collecting the facts or data, analysing the

26
facts, and reaching certain conditions either in the form of a solution to the concerned
problem or in certain generalisation for some theoretical formulation.

"Marketing research is the function which links the customer and public to the
marketer through information - information used to identity and define marketing
opportunities and problems generate define and understanding of marketing as
process".Objectivity in research is all-important. The heart of scientific method is the
objective gathering of the information. Function as marketing research within the
company as to provide the information and analytical necessary for effective.

• Planning of the future marketing activity.

• Control of the marketing operation in the present.
• Evaluation of marketing results.

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN

A research design is the arrangement of conditions for the clothing election and analysis of
data in a manner that is to combine relevant to the research purpose with the economy in
procedure.
Descriptive research method is used in this study .
The descriptive research design involves using a range of qualitative and quantitative
research methods to collect data that aids in accurately describing a research
problem.Descriptive research design includes survey & fact finding inquiries of different
kinds. The major purpose of descriptive
research is a description of the state of affairs as it exists at present.

3.3 DATA COLLECTION

Primary data is collected from the 65 number of consumers who prefer Volkswagen, that are
the respondents of the questionnaire regarding the consumer preferences on Volkswagen

Secondary data is collected from the websites, newspapers, internet, and articles.

Method of data collection:

Data is collected through primary and secondary data. In primary data, it is done.
● Primary data are the raw data which is not subject to any processing or manipulation.
It is collected freshly and is original in character.
● Secondary data collection is done through newspapers, internet and journals and it's a
type of data that may help researchers is the data that has already been gathered by
someone else. Data, which have already been collected and compiled for other
purposes by other researchers. The secondary sources consist of readily available
materials and already compiled statistical statements and reports whose data may be
used by researcher for his / her studies

27
3.4 POPULATION SIZE:

The population for the study consists of consumers who prefer Volkswagen cars and the data
is collected from the customers of the Volkswagen showroom.
The population for this study is finite in nature that includes the customers of the Volkswagen
showroom who prefer Volkswagen cars.

3.5 SAMPLE DESIGN:

Sampling is done usually because it is impossible to test every single individual in the
Population. It is also done to save time, money and effort while conducting the research.

Sample size:

The customers who prefer Volkswagen cars in which totally 70 number of questionnaires
were distributed to the population of consumers who prefer Volkswagen, in which 65
samples responses were finally collected

Sampling technique:

Simple random sampling is used in this study. This method is probabilistic in nature in which
every person in the population has an even chance and likelihood of being selected. The main
attribute of this sampling is that every sample has the same probability of being chosen. This
sampling technique is also known as a method of chance.

28
3.6 STATISTICAL TOOL:

Primary data is collected from 65 consumers who prefer Volkswagen by the use of
questionnaires.
Secondary data is collected from magazines, newspapers, websites, internets, etc

Questionnaires were created in order to receive the necessary response required from the
sample to achieve the study objective. The main statistical and analytical tools used for
analysing primary data and the relational dependence between variables are
● Questionnaire
● Bar diagrams
● Simple percentage method

Simple percentage analysis refers to a ratio. With the help of absolute figures, it will be
difficult to interpret any meaning from the collected data, but when percentages are found out
then it becomes easy to find the relative difference between two or more attribute

Percentage =(no. of respondents / total respondents)* 100 %

Questionnaire:

A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set o questions (27questions) to

collect information from a respondent. A survey is a research method used for collecting data
from a pre-defined group of respondents to gain information and insights on various topics of
interest.

Bar diagrams:

Bar charts are typically used to display variables on a nominal or ordinal scale. Bar chart are
a very popular form of information graphics often used in research articles, scientific reports,
textbooks, and popular media to visually display relationships and trends in data.

29
 CHAPTER-4

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION:

4.1: TABLE SHOWS THE BASIS OF RESPONDENT’S AGE GROUP

Age FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

18-25 42 64.6%
25-30 14 21.5%
30-40 6 9.2%
40 ABOVE 3 4.6%
TOTAL 65 100%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table represents that , out of 65 recorded responses , 64.6% of respondents are
between the age of 18 to 25 , 21% of the respondents are between the age of 26 to 30 , 9.2%
of the respondents are between the age of 30 to 40 , 4.6% of the respondents are above the
age of 40.

30
CHART 4.1 SHOWS THE RESPONDENT AGE

31
4.2: TABLE SHOWS THE RESPONDENTS’ GENDER:

GENDER FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

MALE 48 73.8%
FEMALE 17 26.2%
TOTAL 65 100%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table represents that , out of 65 recorded responses, 73.8% of respondents are male
and 26.2% of the respondents are female .

32
CHART 4.2 SHOWS THE GENDER OF THE RESPONDENTS

33
4.3: TABLE SHOWS THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE
RESPONDENTS:

MATRIC 5 7.7
INTERMEDIATE 12 18.5
UNDER GRADUATE 44 52.3
POST GRADUATE 14 21.5
ANY OTHER QUALIFICATION 0 0

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 53% of the respondents were under graduates , 21.1% of the
respondents were post graduates, 18.2% of the respondents were intermediates, 7.6% of the
respondents were matric students.

34
CHART 4.3: SHOWS THE QUALIFICATIONS

35
4.4: TABLE SHOWS THE MARITAL STATUS OF THE
RESPONDENTS:

MARITAL STATUS NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE %

SINGLE 41 63.1%
MARRIED 18 27.7%
PREFERED NOT TO 6 9.2%
SAY

INTERPRETATION:

The above table represents that 63.1% of respondents are single ,27.7% of respondents are
married and 9.2% of respondents preferred not to say whether they are single or married

36
CHART 4.4: SHOWS THE MARITAL STATUS

37
4.5: Table shows the occupation of the respondents:

PARTICULARS FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

STUDENT 30 46.2%
SELF EMPLOYED 22 33.8%
PREFERED NOT TO 13 20%
SAY

INTERPRETATION:
The table shows that 46.2% of the respondents are students, 33.8% of the respondents are self
employed, and 20% of the respondents are working professionals

38
CHART 4.5: SHOWS THE OCCUPATION

39
4.6: TABLE SHOWS THE NUMBER OF FAMILY MEMBERS RESIDE
WITH THE RESPONDENTS:

LIVING ALONE 13 20.3%

2 MEMBERS 33 15.6%
3-4 MEMBERS 33 51.6%
5+ MEMBERS 9 12.5%

INTERPRETATION:

The table shows that 51% of the respondents reside with 3-4 members of the family , 20.3%
of the respondents live alone, 15.6% of the respondents reside with two members and 12.5%
of the respondents reside with more than 5 members of the family

40
CHART 4.6: SHOWS THE NUMBER OF FAMILY MEMBERS

41
4.7: TABLE SHOWS WEATHER THE RESPONDENTS OWN A CAR :

YES 48 75%
NO 17 25%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 75% of the respondents own the car and 25% of the respondents
don't own the car.

42
CHART 4.7: SHOWS WEATHER THE RESPONDENTS OWN THE
CAR

43
4.8: TABLE SHOWS THE THE LENGTH OF TIME FROM YOUR
INITIAL DECISION TO BUY A NEW CAR, TO THE TIME OF
PLACING YOUR ORDER WITH THE DEALER:

LESS THAN 2 WEEKS 11 16.9%

2 WEEKS TO 1 MONTH 24 36.9%
1 MONTH TO 3 MONTH 19 29.2%
MORE THAN 3 11 16.9%
MONTHS

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 36.9% of the respondents took time length of two weeks to one
month , 29.2% of the respondents took time length of 1 month to 3 months , 16.9% of the
respondents took the time length of less than 2 weeks and also 16.9% of the respondents took
the time length of more than 3 months to decide to buy the car to time of placing the order
with tye dealer

44
CHART 4.8: SHOWS THE LENGTH OF TIME TO PLACE THE
ORDER

45
4.9: TABLE SHOWS WEATHER THE RECEIVE ANY BENEFITS FOR
TAKING AN ALTERNATIVE SPECIFICATION TO YOUR
PREFERRED CHOICE:

DISCOUNT OF NEW CAR 18 27.7%

PRICE
SPECIFICATION UPGRADE 24 36.9%
BETTER PRICE ON TRADE 22 33.8%
IN
NOTHING 1 1.5%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 36.9% of respondents benefited for specification upgrade , 33.8%
of respondents benefited for better price on trade-in, 27.7% of the respondents benefited for
discount offer of the new car price and 1.5% of the respondents shows no benefits

46
CHART 4.9: SHOWS THE BENEFITS ON TAKING ALTERNATIVE
SPECIFICATIONS

47
4.10: TABLE SHOWS THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION THE
RESPONDENTS USE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE CAR THEY
PURCHASED:

CAR MAGAZINES 13 20%

TV PROGRAMS 6 9.2%
FRIENDS, RELATIVE, COLLEAGUES 31 47.7%
INTERNET 14 21.5%
OTHERS 1 1.5%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 47.7% of the respondents were sourced from friends, relatives
and colleagues, 21.5% of the respondents sourced information from internet or world wide
web , 20% of the respondents from car magazines, 9.2% from tv programmes, 1.5% from
other sources where the respondents find out the information about the car to buy.

48
CHART 4.10: SHOWS THE INFORMATION SOURCE

49
4.11: TABLE SHOWS THE PURPOSE OF THE CAR USAGE:

GOING WITH FAMILY 29 44.6%

GOING TO COLLEGE 12 18.5%
GOING FOR WORK 17 26.2%
COMMUNITY WORK 7 10.8%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 44.6% of the respondents were going with the family , 26.2%
were going for work , 18.5% were going to college , 10.8% were going for community work
by the car

50
CHART 4.11: SHOWS THE PURPOSE OF CAR USAGE

51
4.12: TABLE SHOWS WEATHER THE RESPONDENTS WANT TO
BUY CARS ANYMORE:

YES 47 72.3%
NO 18 27.7%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 72.3% of the respondents wanted to buy new cars and 27.7% of
the respondents dont wanted to buy anymore cars

52
CHART 4.12: SHOWS THE NEED TO BUY ANOTHER CAR

53
4.13: TABLE SHOWS WHICH MODEL WOULD THE RESPONDENTS
PREFER TO BUY:

TIAGUN 14 21.5%
VIRTUS 44 67.7%
TIAGUAN 7 10.8%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 67.7% of the respondents would prefer to buy Virtus, 21.5% of
the respondents prefer to buy Taigun, and 10.8% of the respondents would prefer to buy
Tiguan .

54
CHART 4.13: SHOWS THE MODEL TO BUY

55
4.14: Table shows weather the respondent would consider any consumer
intentive before buying the car :

YES 43 66.2%
NO 22 33.8%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 66.2% of the respondents consider any consumer incentive before
buying the car and 33.8% of the respondents do not consider any consumer intentive before
buying the car

56
Chart 4.14: Shows the preference on consumer incentive

57
4.15: Table shows the occasion the consumer prefer to buy the car:

ON FESTIVALS 8 12.3%
WHEN I GET PROMOTION 8 12.3%
WHEN CAR IS REQUIRED 24 36.3%
WHEN I GET MARRIED 8 12.4%
WHEN I GET A JOB 12 18.5%
OTHERS 5 7.7%

INTERPRETATION:
The above table shows that 36.9% of the respondents would buy the car when the car is
required, 18.5% of the respondents would buy when they get the job, 12.3% of the
respondents would buy the car when they got promoted, 12.3% of the respondents would but
the car when they got married , 12.5% of the respondents would buy the car during festivals
and 7.7% of the respondents would buy the car during any other occasions

58
Chart 4.15: Shows the occasion of buying

59
4.16: Table shows how the respondent buy the car :

CASH BASIS 33 50.8%

CORPONDENT BASIS 11 16.9%
LOAN FROM BANK 16 24.6%
LOAN FROM 5 7.7%
FINANCIAL

INTERPRETATION:
The above table shows that 50.8% of the respondents purchase the car on cash basis , 24.6%
of the respondents purchase through getting loan from banks , 16.9% of the respondents
purchase the car on the corporant basis , and 7.9% of the respondents purchase the car with
tha loan from any financial institutions

60
Chart 4.16: Shows how they buy the car

61
4.17: Table shows whether the respondents’ four-wheeler as their primary
vehicle :

YES 41 63.1%
NO 24 36.9%

INTERPRETATION:
The above table shows that 63.1% of the respondents use their four-wheeler as their primary
vehicle and 36.9% of the respondents don’t use their four-wheeler as primary vehicle

62
Chart 4.17: Shows the whether the car is primary vehicle

63
4.18: Table shows the number of kilometres the respondents drive their car
everyday:

2-5 KM 4 6.2%
5-10 KM 15 23.1%
10-20 KM 18 27.7%
20-40 KM 14 21.5%
40+ KMS 14 21.5%

INTERPRETATION:
The above table shows that 27.7% of respondents drive their car 10-20 kms a day , 23.1% of
the respondents drive their car 5-10 kms a day , 21.5% of the respondents drive their car more
than 40 kms a day, 21.5% of the respondents drive their car 20-40 kms a day, 6.2% of the
respondents drive their car 2-6 kms a day .

64
Chart 4.18: Shows the number of kilometres driven everyday

65
4.19: Table shows where the consumer buy their car :

ONLINE 9 13.8%
IN SHOWROOM 56 86.2%

INTERPRETATION:
The above table shows that 86.2% of the respondents prefer to buy their car in showroom and
13.8% of the respondents prefer to buy their car online

66
Chart 4.19: Shows where to buy the car

67
4.20: Table shows for how much time does the consumer are ready to wait
for car delivery :

1-1.5 MONTHS 21 32.3

1.5-3 MONTHS 22 33.8
3-6 MONTHS 19 29.2
6+ MONTHS 3 4.6

INTERPRETATION:
The above table shows that 33.8% of the respondents were okay to wait for 1.5 - 3 months ,
32.3% of the respondents were okay to wait for 1-1.5 months , 29.2% of the respondents were
okay to wait for 3-6 months and 4.6% of the respondents were okay to wait for more than 6
months

68
Chart 4.20: Shows the time interval the consumer ready to wait

69
4.21: Table shows the preferred transmission of the car :

AUTOMATIC 28 56.9%
TRANSMISSION
MANUAL TRANSMISSION 37 43.1%

INTERPRETATION:
The above table shows that 56.9% of the respondents prefer manual transmission cars , and
43.1% of the respondents prefer automatic transmission of cars

70
Chart 4.21: Shows the preferred transmission of the car

71
4.22: TABLE SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OF SERVICING THE
VEHICLE :

ONCE IN A YEAR 17 26.2%

TWICE IN A YEAR 31 47.7%
THRICE IN A YEAR 17 26.2%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 47.7% of the respondents service their cars twice a year, 26.6% of
the respondents service their car once a year and 26.6% of the respondents service their cars
thrice a year

72
CHART 4.22: SHOWS THE FREQUENCY OF
SERVICING

73
4.23: TABLE SHOWS THE TYPE OF ENGINE PREFERRED TO BUY :

PETROL 40 61.5%
DIESEL 25 38.5%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 61.5% of the respondents preferred petrol engine to buy the car ,
and 38.5% of the respondents preferred diesel engine to buy the car

74
CHART 4.23: SHOWS THE ENGINE PREFERRED

75
4.24: TABLE SHOWS WEATHER THE RESPONDENTS PREFER
ELECTRIC CARS OVER PETROL OR DIESEL ENGINE CARS :

YES 20 30.8%
NO 45 69.2%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 69.2% of the respondents preferred petrol or diesel engines cars
over electric cars and 30.8% of the respondents preferred electric cars than petrol or diesel
engined cars

76
Chart 4.24: Shows the preference on electric cars

77
4.25: TABLE SHOWS WEATHER THE CAR IS USED ON A REGULAR
BASIS :

YES 52 80%
NO 13 20%

INTERPRETATION:

The above table shows that 80% of the respondents use their car on a regular basis and 20%
of the respondents don’t use their car on a regular basis

78
CHART 4.25: SHOWS THE USAGE OF CAR ON REGULAR
BASIS

79
 CHAPTER -5

5.1: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:

1. From the table and the chart , we can clearly observe that 64.4% of the respondents
fall under the age of 18-25 years .
2. From the table and chart, we can observe that 73.8% of the respondents were male
3. From the table and chart , we can observe that 53% of the respondents were
undergraduate students
4. From the table and chart, we can observe that 63.1% of the respondents were single
5. From the table and chart , we can observe that 46.2% of the respondents were students
6. From the table and chart , we can observe that 51% of the respondents reside with 3-4
members in the family
7. From the table and chart , we can observe that 75% of the respondents own the car
8. From the table and chart , we can observe that 36.9% of the respondents took the
initial decision of 2 weeks to 1 month to decide to place the order to buy the new car
9. From the table and chart , we can observe that 36.9% of the respondents took the
benefits for specification upgrade
10. From the table and chart , we can observe that 47.7% of the respondents used the
information source of friends , relatives and colleagues
11. From the table and chart , we can observe that 44.6% of the respondents use their car
for going with the family
12. From the table and chart , we can observe that 72.3% of the respondents wants to buy
anymore cars
13. From the table and chart , we can observe that 67.7% of the respondents prefer to buy
virtus car model
14. From the table and chart , we can observe that 66.2% of the respondents considered
the customer incentive
15. From the table and chart , we can observe that 36.9% of the respondents preferred to
buy the car when the car is required
16. From the table and chart , we can observe that 50.8% of the respondents purchased
the car on cash basis
17. From the table and chart , we can observe that 63.1% of the respondents use their four
wheelers as their primary vehicle
18. From the table and chart , we can observe that 27.7% of the respondents drive their
car for approximately 10-20 kilometres a day
19. From the table and chart , we can observe that 86.2% of the respondents like to buy
their car in showroom
20. From the table and chart , we can observe that 33.8% of the respondents were ready to
wait for 1.5-3 months for the car delivery
21. From the table and chart, we can observe that 56.9% of the respondents preferred
manual transmissions of the car

80
22. From the table and chart , we can observe that 47.7% of the respondents service their
vehicle twice in a year.
23. From the table and chart , we can observe that 61.5% of the respondents preferred to
buy petrol engine.
24. From the table and chart, we can observe that 69.2% of the respondents do not prefer
electric cars over petrol or diesel engined cars.
25. From the table and chart , we can observe that 80% of the respondents use their car on
a regular basis.

81
5.2 SUGGESTIONS:

● Volkswagen should dedicate all efforts and resources into re-establishing credibility
with the company.
● Volkswagen may choose to re-brand, although this option is fairly unlikely. It can
also join independent verification agencies, which is more feasible and fairly easy to
accomplish.
● Finally, the costliest option would be to sell one of its brands and post a bond. This is
the most expensive option and probably a method of last resort, however it would also
restore the most faith in the Volkswagen brand.
● A combination of the second and third option would be the best recommendation.
● As consumers slowly regain trust in the brand, then sales will most likely gradually
increase.
● Consumers are currently debating on purchasing the cheap Volkswagen stock because
many have faith that the company will take the necessary steps towards mediating the
scandal.
● It is doubtful that the stock prices will return to previous levels anytime soon, but if
● Volkswagen shows consumers that it regrets deceiving consumers and is dedicated
towards better corporate social responsibility practices, then perhaps it can regain its
status in the global auto industry.

82
5.3 CONCLUSIONS:

In conclusion, Volkswagen has implemented various consumer preferring practices to

improve customer satisfaction and enhance the overall customer handling Experience. The
company has invested in technology to provide a seamless experience across multiple
touchpoints, including online portals, social media, and physical stores. Volkswagen has also
established a dedicated customer service team to handle customer queries and complaints
promptly. The customer preference and satisfaction practices adopted by Volkswagen have
resulted in increased customer loyalty and repeat purchases. The company has leveraged
customer insights to develop new products and services that meet the evolving needs of its
customers. Additionally, Volkswagen has established a strong brand image by consistently
delivering high-quality products and excellent customer service. Overall, practices of
consumer preference on Volkswagen have helped the company to build strong relationships
with its customers and create a competitive advantage in the market. By focusing on
customer satisfaction, Volkswagen has been able to differentiate itself from its competitors
and maintain its position as a leading automobile manufacturer.

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● https://www.volkswagen.co.in/en.html
● https://www.slideshare.net/swamitgupta/volks-wagon-project
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