According to a recent study commissioned by Škoda Auto India and conducted by NIQ BASES, 92% of customers in India believe that all cars should undergo crash tests and receive a safety rating. The survey, which aimed to gauge customer preferences when purchasing a personal car, also revealed that 47.6% of customers prioritize safety over other features.

The study, conducted among individuals aged 18 to 54 in the SEC A and B bracket, included both current car owners and prospective buyers. Out of the respondents, 67% were current car owners with vehicles priced above Rs 5 lakh, while 33% intended to purchase a car in the same price range within the next year. The majority of respondents (80%) were male, with the remaining 20% being female.

The survey identified crash rating and the number of airbags as the top two features influencing the consumer’s car purchase decision. The crash rating was deemed the most important driver, with an importance score of 22.3%, followed closely by the number of airbags with a score of 21.6%. Fuel efficiency ranked third in importance, with a score of 15.0%.

When it comes to crash ratings, the survey found that a 5-star rating was the most preferred by customers, with 22.2% of respondents selecting it as their top choice. A 4-star rating followed closely behind with a preference of 21.3%. In contrast, a crash rating of zero was the least preferred option, with only 6.8% of respondents choosing it.

Interestingly, while awareness about the existence of two sets of 5-star safety ratings on crash tests was high at around 76%, only about 30% of customers in India were aware of the separate child/rear occupants’ safety rating.

Petr Šolc, Brand Director of Škoda Auto India, expressed the company’s commitment to safety, stating, “For us at Škoda, safety is part of our DNA, and it is our philosophy to build safe cars. The survey reveals Škoda to be perceived as among the top 3 brands having models with high safety ratings. With India’s rapidly growing infrastructure and the upcoming proposals for India’s own crash-testing standards, it is heartening to see consumers being aware of and demanding safety.”

Amrita Srivastava, Regional Director (APMEA) of NIQ BASES, explained the methodology behind the survey, stating, “The survey, which was done using NIQ BASES solution – FPO (Feature Price Optimiser) based on discrete choice methodology, revealed that the customer places the safety feature of ‘Crash Rating’ at the forefront of their purchasing criteria.”