Keeping your finger on the pulse of current trends is an important factor to successful content creation and campaigns. For our portfolio of automotive clients, that means keeping in the loop when it comes to buying habits, government regulation, the adoption of EVs, and knowing all about the latest products that hit the market.
Taking a step back, here are our top 5 automotive trends you need to know about.
Why is everyone buying an SUV?
Turn the clock back a decade and our roads were full of estate cars and hatchbacks, but the SUV is very much king of the hill at the moment. Once reserved for rugged 4x4s, the high-riding form factor can be found on many UK driveways with manufacturers offering more SUV options than ever. Why? It’s simply what’s in fashion.
People like the higher driving position, sense of security a larger vehicle provides, added practicality, and design an SUV can offer. Manufacturers cottoned on to this, realising the all-terrain origins of SUVs weren’t the biggest selling factor, big brands soon offered road-bias SUVs. In fact, some SUVs have totally replaced traditional models that were once household names. RIP Ford Fiesta.
Growing EV sales come as no shock
Despite the government backtracking on the 2030 ban on selling combustion cars, electric car sales continue to grow at a pace. Manufacturers now offer a huge range of vehicles, meaning there is something for everyone. More importantly, the technology has matured to a point where EV range and charging speeds meet the day-to-day requirements of the majority of buyers.
Electric cars are getting cheaper
While undoubtably still more costly than their combustion equivalents, the trend of lowering EV prices is a positive one for buyers. As these vehicles become more mass produced and adopted, the cost of manufacturing them reduces. A byproduct of this, and an incentive for manufacturers to pass on this saving, is that the market is becoming very competitive.
2024 will see the launch of some exciting and rather affordable EVs, some even claiming to match the cost of a petrol car.
Get ready for AI
AI is very much a focal point in the media at the moment, but cars have actually used various forms of AI to learn your habits and preferences for a while. A manufacturer shouting about its use of AI has become a marketing opportunity, especially as brands are devoting more resources such features.
This year you can expect to see AI-powered infotainment systems from premium car manufacturers, as well as more creative uses for AI in car manufacturing itself.
Bolder Design
The automotive landscape is going through a fascinating period of design, especially with more electric cars on the market. New manufacturing techniques are allowing for more intricate and expressive design language to become a reality, and with competition for sales tougher than ever, get ready to see some serious peacocking.
We’ve already seen how transformative design can be for brand perceptions with the Hyundai Ioniq range, so expect more of the same from key rivals.
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