Crash-test cars make a statement in the showroom
New sales tactic takes a head-on approach to educating rural consumers about safetyDealerships around the nation have embraced a new strategy to inform buyers about automotive – and maybe sell a few cars as well.
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) and the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) have joined forces to bring the attention of buyers to the issue of safety on the road. A 'national display road show' is touring rural areas, setting up a crashed car inside new-car showrooms to demonstrate the strength and protection of the respective vehicle.
Bathurst Kia has been the first dealer to get on board with the idea, accepting delivery of a Kia Stinger that was tested by ANCAP in 2017 and scored a five-star rating as a result. The Stinger will move on to other Kia dealers in rural parts of New South Wales – at Dubbo, Orange and Lithgow – in coming weeks.
Kia is not the only brand involved in this initiative. A Mazda CX-5 has been parked in the showroom of Garry and Warren Smith Mazda at Mulgrave in Victoria (picture), and crashed examples of the Suzuki Swift, Hyundai Kona, LDV D90 and Toyota Corolla are also on tour.
"Dealers are crucial advocates for ANCAP and the safer vehicles message," said ANCAP Chief Executive, James Goodwin.
"Having consumers able to see, touch and even sit in a vehicle that's been crash-tested – complete with deployed airbags and visible dummy contact points – is a unique experience.
"We are stepping up our engagement with dealers, working with a range of vehicle brands, dealer groups and the Australian Automotive Dealer Association to provide consumers with a tangible example of vehicle safety."
"It is important we engage with dealers and consumers at the point-of-sale, and in particular, it is important we bring our display vehicles to regional dealerships as two thirds of all road deaths occur in regional and remote areas," Goodwin also observed.
"With the introduction of automated vehicle technologies, the car buying experience must also change, to educate consumers on the benefits and function of safety assist features."
ANCAP has compiled market research findings that up to 88 per cent of new-car buyers were swayed towards a certain vehicle type based on safety information supplied by the dealer.
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