A new study by Dacia has found customers are likely to dismiss unnecessary or non-essential in-car technology in favour of lower prices.
The study, which surveyed 2000 UK-based drivers, found that 76% of drivers believe that too much technology can be distracting, while 61% would prefer more affordable prices for cars equipped with just the tech they regularly use.
The research also showed that a third of drivers believe too many technologies are fitted to cars, while 69% said that in-car tech has become too complicated. Overall, 78% of respondents said that they only want in-car technology that they deem to be useful in making their life easier and more comfortable on the road.
Parking sensors, DAB radio, Bluetooth and reversing cameras were found to be the most-used and desirable features in a car.
The study comes following Dacia product boss Andreea Guinea saying at the recent Munich motor show that the firm would keep car prices low by avoiding "useless" features.
“Customers aren’t ready to pay” for advanced technologies, she told Autocar. “They don’t go for features that aren’t useful. Our brand strategy is to focus on the essential without being boring; we want to offer essential features in a cool way.”
The firm also stated it would not chase Euro NCAP safety-rating stars but would retain its reputation for affordability while striving for compliance with rapidly changing legislation.
"We can keep up with the technology,” Guinea said, “but we always keep a second eye – and a big eye – on the price.
“We always make a balance in what we choose as features for the cars. We don’t have very complicated things or useless features because we don’t want to spend our money developing things and increase the price of the car.”
Last month, Dacia announced that the next Duster SUV, due in 2024, will follow the same strategy, offering a “very good price-to-feature ratio”, despite the introduction of a hybrid drivetrain.
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I'm really growing to like Dacia. Spot on regarding rubbish 'in-car-tech' - shame the car makers and motoring journalists keep gushing about it rather than actual owners (supplying cheap electronics in cars and selling it as 'amazing tech that everyone wants/needs' is just another con to justify extortionately high prices).
Using my eyes rather than relying on stats, I'm seeing more and more new Dacia's on the road but II don't believe for a second that people are shunning new tech and safety in preference to cheaper prices, rather I believe a Dacia is one of the few new cars they can afford.
Keep on increasing prices and they'll shun a basic Dacia too.
The market is divided: some go for the more and more expressive "premium" models, some go for no-nonsense models.