Buying a car: why options will become rarer
In the future, manufacturers will leave less choice in the options, for reasons of standards… and profitability. The cliché of the German car with a list of options as long as a day...
08/11/2021
In the future, manufacturers will leave less choice in the options, for reasons of standards… and profitability.
Will the cliché of the German car with a list of options as long as a day without bread soon be a thing of the past? The option could well be an endangered species in the automotive world!
Of course, at a time when driving aids are multiplying, brands do not intend to offer less well-equipped vehicles! It is the way of integrating and selling equipment that is changing. One of the causes? The WLTP standard.
Options weigh on the penaltyCompared to the old NEDC standard, the WLTP does not only consist of a more severe test to give values closer to reality. Another important aspect is the consideration of equipment for the calculation of releases. It is thus no longer a question of having a CO2 value with the least well-endowed model. Now, each configuration gives an accurate rate.
Extra equipment can make the car heavier and deteriorate aerodynamics. The more a model is equipped, the higher its CO2 will be. And in countries with taxation based on these releases, this now matters a great deal. In France, the penalty can thus increase by checking options. The sunroof, for example, is on average 2 grams. And when you go up the scale, 2 g can already add a few hundred euros.
The customer is penalized, but so is the brand. In Europe, manufacturers must now respect a CO2 quota or face a fine. This can push firms to give up on certain elements, even if it is not a very widely used lever of action.
Simplify certificationThis is another consequence of option-based regulation that will further encourage brands to clean up catalogs. WLTP complicates approvals. Before, one measurement was enough for all versions of an engine. Now, you have to give a value for each configuration! This had also delayed the implementation of the WLTP for the malus in France, the computer systems having to be adapted to this variable information.
To make life easier, manufacturers should simplify the offers. With another advantage: the sorting of options facilitates order taking and production. This is also why the limitation of options is a habit known for a long time among Asian brands.
make you spend moreTo have shortened lists of options, a method is gaining ground: making packs that group together a set of equipment. The technique has the great advantage of pushing consumption, because we offer ourselves a more expensive pack than the only option we were aiming for at the start... or because we are obliged to go on to the finish beyond above. Which fits with the new priority of brands: profitability and no longer volume! The goal is not to sell "more" but "better" with a criterion that has become important: the product mix. Clearly, sell the most expensive models and therefore those with the best margins.
Recently, Renault did not hesitate to remove the radio with touch screen from the standard equipment of the Zoé Life, the access model. And no question of adding it as an option. It is thus necessary to pass directly to the Zen level to have this essential equipment. A change certainly linked to the fact that the basic finish, which had good equipment, was selling too well!