Consumer preferences of small car in India

1. Consumer preferences of small car in india
Published: 23, March 2015
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of factors that influence
consumer buying behavior in cars. Specifically, we considered a number of
internal factors that influence consumer behavior including perception, motivation
and learning. How a consumer's attitude, which is a lasting evaluation of a person,
object, or issue, can affect what they buy also examined.
Reviewed other factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions and buying
behavior including personal, social, and situational issues. The personal influences
on consumers are important determinants of their needs and wants. Such factors as
age, income, family status, and chosen lifestyle are strongly related to the types of
products people buy and the specific brands they select.
Examined the stages of the consumer decision-making process for buying a car:
problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives between different
brands of cars, product choice and post purchase evaluation with respect to after
sales service, customer relationship, and resale value of the car.
Professional
Essay Writers
Get your grade or your money back
using our Essay Writing Service!
ESSAY WRITING SERVICE

2. Also addressed the impact of the amount of effort expended and of perceived risk;
factors associated with relative importance and perceived consequences of the
purchase, from the consumer's perspective.
1.1 The Decisional Factors
Buyer decision processes are the decision making processes undertaken by
consumers in regard to a potential market transaction before, during, and after the
purchase of a product or service.
Consumers have to make different kinds of decisions everyday according to their
different needs. Some of the decisions are playing critical roles in consumers' daily
life, for example, purchasing a new home or purchasing a car, whereas some times
the decisions are made on a virtually automatic basis. There are not a lot published
research articles available on the decision-framing process. Puto, C. proposed a
conceptual model of the buying decision framing process.
This model focuses on the information search phase which includes two reference
points: an initial which is internal to the company-expectations and buying
objectives, and a final one that takes into account the sales message and
justification/reward of the offer.
These two stages lead to the final choice. Burt and Babin developed a model, see
Figure...This model is in line with previous one but gives an emphasis on an
evaluation phase in the process.
This model includes five stages: problem recognition, information search, evaluation
of alternatives, purchase decisions, and outcomes.
Locational Marketing mix is used to reinforce the advantages of the car carefully
reflecting its core values and positioning. It confirms how and why it will be of
interest to various segments of the car-buyingpublic.
Influences on the Consumer Purchase Decision Process
Marketing mix influences
 Product
 Price

3.  Promotion
 Place
Psychological
Influences
 Motivation
 Personality
 Perception
 Learning
 Values, beliefs
 Lifestyle.
‘Price' - Reflecting the Positioning Strategy
The company should have a clear understanding of its key target market for e.g.
(Young people and other price-conscious car buyers) for small car segment and
should design-pricing strategies to best address their needs and the positioning of
the car.
‘Promotion' - Communicating
Publicity in the form of motoring reviews and test drives are critical to the success of
a trade launch as this activity should generate sufficient consumer curiosity and
interest in the new models. By getting potential car buyers to test drive a car,
product usage increases. This has a knock on effect to car sales. The primary above
the line medium used to promote and communicate a new car is through advertising.
The choice of TV and outdoor advertising makes perfect marketing sense.
Socio-Cultural Influences like the cultural influences ,caste setup and hierarchies,
sex
role playing also laterally or directly influences the final decision
The consumer's behaviour is also influenced by (other) social factors as the
reference groups , family , social rules and statuses
A buyer's decisions are also strongly influenced by personal characteristics, like:

4.  Age and Life-cycleStage
 Occupation or Profession
 Economic Situation
 Lifestyle
1.2Â Research Purpose
1. To study how internal and external factors influence middle class
consumers' decision-making processes for buying an entry level car.
2. To study the repurchase, purchase, and post purchase activities consumers
engage in when making decisions of purchasing a new car.
3. Understand how situational factors can influence consumer behaviour.
4. Describe how consumers' relationships with other people and sources
influence their decision-making processes.
Primary Objective:
Comprehensive
Writing Services
Plagiarism-free
Always on Time
Marked to Standard
ORDER NOW
To study the buying process and associated behaviors in entry level cars and
the perception Indian brands versus Global brands in the minds of the Indian class
conscious consumers.
Secondary Objective:

5. 1. Evaluate the passenger car segment and assess visible changes that have
taken place over the years.
2. Buying behavior with respect to the passenger car segment.
1.3 Scope of the Study
At the end of the study , the following aspects would be Covered:
1. Understand how consumer find any visible differences in the global vs Indian
brands.
2. How does it effect buying decisions?
3. Influence of the dealers if any in the final decision making process.
4. Environmental influence if any.
5. Extent of availability of alternatives-CSD, Second Hand Cars Market -and
their resultant influence of decision making process altogether
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Understanding the automotive purchase process is crucial for automotive
manufacturers and dealers. Huge amount of information available to consumers
require manufacturers and dealers to understand consumer decision-making and
the modes of influence which can affect consumer new car purchasing.
Kotler et al. describes the customer buying behaviour as the buying behaviour of the
final customers who purchase goods and services for personal consumption. A
company get great advantages by understanding how customers respond to
marketing stimuli that include the four P's: product, price, place and promotion.
Other stimuli in the customer's environment such as economic, technological,
political and cultural also affect all customers' buying decision. All these stimuli enter
the buyer's black box where they, through the buyer decision process, are turned
into a set of buyer responses.
A consumer behavior model, Wheel of Consumer Analysis, was created by J. Paul
Peter and Jerry C. Olson (1994) as a basis for explaining car buying behavior.

6. According to the American Marketing Association, consumer behavior is defined as
the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behavior, and environmental events
by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives.
Marketers can analyse consumer behavior situation accordingto the three elements
using the Wheel of Consumer Analysis the environment, behavior, and
affect/cognition . However, because these three factors interact and influence each
other, no one factor can be isolated from the other.
Parenthood changes the area of responsibility whereby parents are expected to use
their power in the interests of their infant, not themselves .
The children are used in literature and films to symbolise a lessening in materialistic
tendencies of parents, and the authors proceed to show that there are differences
between the materialism levels of parents (lower) and non-parents (higher).
Many researches have been done on the consumer buying process and
associated behaviour but the study done by Valerie S. Folkes (from The University
of Southern California) actually helped to discover the new meaning of the buying
behaviour.
He concluded, “ It is the interaction of the situation and the individual that leads to
behavior. The study of consumer behavior is justified as a separate domain of
inquiry because when situational cues lead people to perceive themselves as
customers, they then interpret the world differently than when they do not perceive
themselves as customers, and that influences their behavior”.
A study conducted by Evan Hirsh, Steve Hedlund & Mark Schweiger in 2001 about
the perception of the brands, which concludes that in the absence of a strong brand,
price is the only plausible way to affect near-term demand. Hence, curtailing
incentives in an effort to “build brand” is not likely an economically viable option.
Many manufacturers have made brand positioning and development a key item on
their marketing agenda. Yet brands are not the product of manufacturers' marketing
efforts. Instead, consumers base their understanding of an automotive brand's value
on their accumulated experience with that brand's products. If you want to change
the Brand, change the products - for the better.
The research conducted on the buying behaviour of cars and what role does the
brand play in it by Sankar Radhakrishnan in June 2001 was a great help for

7. conducting survey on the consumer behaviour for buying cars with relation to the
perception of brands.
This Essay is
a Student's Work
This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by
our professional essay writers.
EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK
A thought provoking point thrown up by the survey was the view that advertising
does not have any impact on the choiceof a particular brand by the prospective
buyer. Buying a new car often set in motion by emotional need-based factors. The
study found that the more rational reasons for buying a car are frequently sparked
off by the psychological benefits that owning a car bring.
Emotions also work throughout the purchase process, right down to the choice of
the brand. The study found that both rational and emotional factors trigger the
decision to buy a car and also operate throughout the purchase process.
The study drives home a point that branding is here to stay. “This is especially true
of the category such as cars, where it is often difficult to distinguish between the
competing models on purely technical or functional parameters. The brand thus
becomes the most meaningful differentiator and a safe choice”. While the functional
parameters do trigger the decision to purchase a car and also operate through the
purchase process.
Many researches have been done on the consumer buying behaviour but the study
done by Valerie S. Folkes (from The University of Southern California) actually
helped to discover the new meaning of the buying behaviour.
He concluded, “ It is the interaction of the situation and the individual that leads to
behavior. The study of consumer behavior is justified as a separate domain of

8. inquiry because when situational cues lead people to perceive themselves as
customers, they then interpret the world differently than when they do not perceive
themselves as customers, and that influences their behavior”.
A study conducted by Evan Hirsh, Steve Hedlund & Mark Schweiger in 2001 about
the perception of the brands, which concludes that in the absence of a strong brand,
price is the only plausible way to affect near-term demand. Hence, curtailing
incentives in an effort to “build brand” is not likely an economically viable option.
Many manufacturers have made brand positioning and development a key item on
their marketing agenda. Yet brands are not the product of manufacturers' marketing
efforts. Instead, consumers base their understanding of an automotive brand's value
on their accumulated experience with that brand's products. If you want to change
the Brand, change the products - for the better.
All these points were found very useful from the marketer's perspective to improve
the image of the brand in the minds of the consumers. Since brand form an
important attribute for the decision making of a high involvement product like a car.
The ethical and non-ethical practices in marketing are under exercise also .
Marketing practice is now busy integrating the potential of information and
communication technologies through the utilization of databases and Internet
marketing. Billions of potential consumers can now be reached this way.
Singhapakdi (1999) showed that marketing managers who perceive an ethical
problem in a situation are more likely to have an ethical intention. Hence, we
suggest that marketing professionals engage in more thought and reflect on their
marketing practices on the Internet. This could lead to a greater consciousness and
hence to the development of more ethical intentions and practices.
The question of adopting an ethical marketing behavior does not only boil down to
providing a firm's policy concerning information privacy, it should also be
demonstrated in marketing actions.
According to Cherrier (2005) there are two ways to view ethical consumption:
Conservative and liberal. According to the conservative view consumers need to
obey a prescriptive set of ethical norms in order to consume ethically.
As the number of marketing messages increases, the more difficult it is to reach out
with the intended marketing message. The cluttered marketing environment and the

9. continuous exposure of marketing communication are challenging for marketers.
(Rosengren, 2008)
Consumer perception and purchase of fair trade products have been a topic of
intrigue for researchers for a long time, because of the complexities involved in
accurately measuring why and how consumers go for ethical goods. Previous
research has attributed the fair trade concept to be of interest to only a small group
of usually ethically minded consumers, and recently to more highly educated high
income women.
Demographics also played a great part in the ethical purchases of consumers, with
research from Littrell and Dickson (1999) that fair-trade buyers were
demographically homogeneous and consisted of highly educated, well-off women in
their forties, with a large portion being teachers, health professionals and social
workers.
Forte & Lamont (1998) found out that there is an increase in purchases based on a
company's role in the society, with consumers more likely to purchase from a
company that is actively involved in social activities in their communities than those
which are not.
Social responsibility and ethical purchase is not the dominant issue in consumer
purchase decision (Boulstridge & Carrigan, 2000) cited in Pelsmacker et al (2005)
as most consumers do not carry out what they say they will do during answering
research questions.
According to Boulstridge and Carrigan, (2000) consumers are expecting that
companies have high ethical behaviour and are willing to pay more for products
produced by companies with high ethical behaviour.
However, products produced from companies that are unethical are still bought, but
they are expected to be cheap. The consumers' way of retribution against unethical
companies are through decreased willingness to pay high prices. Another aspect is
how the businees ethics affect business relationships.
According to Zineldin (2000) long-term relationships are built on ethical and moral
understanding which is crucial for mutal benefits and a rewarding relationship.
Furthermore, the importance of business ethics is determined by consumers interest
in a just and good society.

10. Making the decision regarding an automobile in not at all different .It vibrates on the
same platform and requires similar decisional inputs before the consumer arrives at
the final word.
The National Surveys
Tata Motor' s Nano has been ranked last among entry level small cars in terms of
customer satisfaction, according to market research firm TNS.
In the "2010 four-wheeler Total Customer Satisfaction (TCS)" study by TNS
Automotive, Maruti Suzuki India's (MSI) best selling model Alto topped the entry
level small car category. Omni and the once bread-and-butter model M800 followed
the list.
The customer expectations even at the bottom end are rising. The owners of Tata
Nano expect more in terms of design and Maruti 800 owners expect better servicing
as the years go by.
Nano has been having issues following fire incidents with six reported cases since
its launch in 2009. Tata Motors had offered to provide additional safety measures
free of cost as a precautionary measure, although it claimed that the Nano is
absolutely safe. The study pointed out that car owners in Northern India are
relatively less satisfied compared to those in other parts of the country, primarily
because of after sales services as the age of the car grows.Apart from the entry
level compact car segment, MSI's Zen Estilo and A-Star jointly topped the premium
compact car category in customer satisfaction. The survey covered 9,300 car
buyers, opting for 56 models.
In interviews, companies identified two critical issues for the growth of the small car
market:
Affordability & Credit: In Indian terms even small cars are costly - the average small
car costs around 12 times average annual disposable income. Small, fuel efficient
cars will remain the main market .It is not only a matter of the cost of the vehicle in
the showroom, it is also the total cost of ownership. But what is changing is that
vehicle demand used to be driven by government, by institutions and private
companies - now it is being driven by private, middle-class consumer demand. And
for this set of consumers, affordability is the key issue. The financing and taxation
will continue to shape the market for larger cars. The medium segment is still

11. dominated by company cars, the sort of thing that medium- to high-level managers
get. Either companies buy fleets, or they offer employees finance. And in this
segment a lot will depend on whether there are new fringe benefit taxes.
Attitudes: Indians are savers, they are frugal, they are cost conscious, and they are
very driven by value for money . Most companies believe that this means that
medium sized cars will remain hard to sell in volume - but that despite the
conservatism of consumers, attitude changes will drive small car sales. There is a
huge social shift in India . People are coming from rural areas to the cities, two-
wheelers are giving way to four wheelers, and as a result the very small 800-1000 cc
car market is going to grow very fast. Plus we are moving to an era of dual incomes,
husband and wife both working, and we are also seeing new concerns about two-
wheeler safety that support small car sales.
A growing percentage of vehicles in the Indian market will run on alternative fuels
Crisil Research said the Nano price point would see a 65 per cent increase in the
number of families that can afford a car.
However, it forecast that at the significantly redefined threshold for car ownership in
India, annual car sales have the potential to increase by 20 per cent over 2007-08.
India's entry-level car market is estimated at 400,000 units a year, primarily
consisting of Maruti-Suzuki's 800 and Alto and some base models of the Hyundai
Santro and Maruti's Wagon-R, cars that are priced below Rs 300,000 to Rs 3,50,000
on the road.
The Nano, which is expected to hit the market in September/October 2008, will be
priced at roughly Rs 1,30,000 (Rs 100,000 excluding VAT and transport costs),
promising to be the world's cheapest car.
Several other manufacturers-- Bajaj Auto ,Ford and Honda among them -- also
plan entry-level car launches, but they are unlikely to be at pricepoints as low as the
Nano.
The immediate potential demand for a car at 1.6 million units is based on non-car
owner respondents who were asked whether they were aspiring to buy a car-- any
car-- in the next 12 months.
The survey had a sample size of 1 million households, extrapolated to 215.9 million
households in India with at least one earner.

12. The survey analysis suggests that the potential buyers of cars are households with
an annual income of Rs 200,000 and above that do not own a car.
The analysis considers all households that can afford a small car and do not
currently own a single car. According to the survey, which had a sample size of
nearly a million households, over 12.88 million households out of the 19 million
households with annual income above Rs 200,000 currently do not own a car (either
new or second hand).
In the case of households with annual income between Rs 1,50,000 and Rs
200,000, there are 10 million households that own a two-wheeler, but do not
currently have a car.
The survey shows nearly 55 per cent of the 1.6 million demand is expected from
rural India and smaller towns, with the near-term demand from the six super metros
estimated at 0.25 million. Within this, as many as 0.8 million non-car households,
who were planning to buy only a two-wheeler may now aspire for a car due to the
lower price point for a car like the Nano.
If one were to assume that no household, with annual income above Rs 500,000
would buy a small car, the near-term demand estimate is still very high at over 1.26
million units.
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research design and method
Research Method
The study will be divided into three parts:
1. The desk research
2. The field research
3. Report writing
The desk research will comprise of evaluating the secondary data to assess the
following:

13. a. Understanding the overall passenger car market.
b. Assess the visible changes that have taken place in the market.
c. Evaluate the current trends in the buyer behavior.
d. Understand the current consumer approaches towards global vs Indian
brands.
The field research will be re-validation of the findings of the secondary data findings
and to achieve the primary objective.
a. Method of data collection: Structured disguised questionnaire will be
developed to understand the consumer perception of global vs Indian brands.
b. Sampling:
1. Sample Profile: This will a mix of dealers and prospective consumers of
car, selected through the simple random sampling. For the dealer it will
be stratified sampling selection technique used.
2. Sample Size : Dealers - 10 , Consumers - 50
3. Sampling Technique: Simple random sampling for the consumer and
stratified sampling for the dealers.
Limitations of the Study
1. Sample size is not large enough to obtain absolute results. Variability may
exits.
2. The study is based on the findings of single city only i.e....the Mumbai city
only.
3. The research is restricted to the mini cars segment only.
4. The genuineness of data may be questioned .
3.2 Data
Method of data collection:
Structured disguised questionnaire will be developed to understand the consumer
perception of global vs Indian brands.
Sampling:
This will a mix of dealers and prospective consumers of car, selected through the
simple random sampling.

14. The fieldwork would be undertaken with the structured disguised questionnaire to
understand the middle class consumer's perception of global Vs Indian brands.
The Sample Profile comprises of dealers and prospective class conscious
consumers of car, selected through the simple random sampling.
For the dealer will be stratified sampling selection technique used a sample size
of 10. The sample size of consumers comprises of 50.
CHAPTER 4
DATA ANALYSIS
Car purchasing decision is an important decision for most of India young consumers.
More than half of respondents made their decision from initial decision to buy to
placing the order between two weeks to three months.
People get information from different channels, car sales staff, Internet, family/friend
word of mouth, car shows etc.
From this survey, we find out that with the rapid development of Internet, a lot of
consumers start to use Internet to get car information (Internet has become 2nd
most used channel to get information and is just behind dealer staff in our study).
The Internet is usually the first place for young consumers to go when they want to
buy a car; their next step maybe take place in the showroom, then followed by a test
drive.
The fieldwork is undertaken with the structured disguised questionnaire to
understand the consumer perception of global Vs Indian brands. The Sample Profile
comprises of dealers and prospective consumers of car, selected through the simple
random sampling. For the dealer it will be stratified sampling selection technique
used fir a sample size of 10. The sample size of consumers comprises of 50.
Simple random sampling is used for the consumer and stratified sampling for the
dealers.
The age group of the sample profile is depicted in the Diagram1. The diagram
reflects the 20-30 years age group comprises 43% of the sample.

15. The diagram 2 reflects the monthly income of the customers surveyed. It shows
most of the customers earn monthly income less than Rs. 25,000.
By Diag.3 it is found that out 50% of the respondents have more than 2 cars.
From Diag.4 & 5, In Mini-sized car segment, Hundai Santro is owned by maximum
respondents followed by Fiat Palio and Maruti Zen. In Mid-sized segment, Hundai
Accent is owned by maximum respondents followed by Honda City and Maruti
Esteem.
Mini-Segment Cars
Mid-segment Cars
Consider the following Parameters for their Purchase of
Cars:
Diagrams 6-13 depict the parameters that people consider to purchase a new car.
Out of the total respondents surveyed, 45% of the people highly agree, “BRAND” as
parameter; 50% as STYLE, 58% as MILAGE, 44% as SPACE, 26% as comfort, 54
% as CREDIT SCHEMES, 54% as COLOUR, 34% as accessories.
Diagram 14 reflects the respondent's need to buy a new car. 48% of the
respondents said they would buy a new car as their family size is increased, 46% to
upgrade for a better car, and only 6% were first time buyers.
Diagrams 15-18 In the mini-segment car companies' maximum customers are highly
satisfied with the good dealer coverage and the facilities in the outlet of Maruti
Udyog. Secondly, most of the customers consider that Hyundai Motors (Korean
Company) has emerged to be the No. 1 brand today and with maximum customers
being highly satisfied with its after sales service. Tata Motors image and brand is
deteriorating. Fiat India is doing average in all aspects
CHAPTER 5
FINDINGS
5.1 Implications

16. As the younger people get of buying age, consumers will spend more time on
Internet and purchase more and more products by Internet, including cars, therefore,
car manufacturers and retail dealers should think about how they should do in the
different decision making phases in the e-world and should try to work closely with
automotive Internet companies and increase its budgets on Internet advertising and
marketing.
In the needs recognition phase, car manufacturers may use banner advertising,
sponsorships and interstitials which could expose customers to products and
services.
In addition, car manufacturers and dealers may design some online surveys to get to
know what customers really need/want for the cars;
In the information search phase, car manufacturers and dealers may provide some
online queries which could answer consumers' questions and provide useful
information for consumers' decision making;
In the evaluation of alternatives stage, consumers may use community marketing,
customer feedback, message boards, customer reviews and blogs/MSN spaces to
help customers though the evaluation process toward their final purchasing goal. In
the purchase phase, car manufacturers could use gift registries, email marketing
and online dialogue functionality to help consumers make final purchase or even
additional purchases.
In the post-purchase phase, auto makers and retailers may regularly check the
positive or negative comments and feedbacks posted on some websites' forums by
some users.
5.2 The Conclusions
On the basis of analysing secondary and primary data, the following
recommendations are made with respect to the consumer behaviour of passenger
car segment in SAS Nagar:
As the age group 20-30 years comprises the major chunk in the sample size, it is
strongly recommended to target this segment and design advertising strategy to
attract this segment. The most suitable model for this segment would be Mini-size
car, considering the quantum of savings and purchasing power.

17. As the most of customers falling in the incomes of less than Rs.25, 000 per month, it
is recommended to focus on financing schemes to attract this segment.It is
observed that the accelerating growth of Hundai models, viz. Santro and Accent is
because of innovations in technology and design coupled with aggressive
advertising. It has affected the recalling of Maruti models. It is recommended that
Maruti should focus on innovation in design.
As for as advertising is concerned, customer is aware of ‘Maruti' brand, but he/she is
looking for a change in design. The other brands like Fiat, Honda, still focusing on
premium positioning and once the brand is established they may come out with
competitive pricing with various models.
For any car manufacturer, it has become essential to focus on enhancing brand
image. Almost 50% of the customers feel Brand as an important parameter.
As mentioned earlier, Innovation in Design should be parallel focus as brand is
recognized by the style and design of the model.
Considering the income levels of middle and higher middles segment, customer is
very much considered the mileage aspect of the car. Much R &D is recommended to
provide fuel efficiency in the model, which can be projected as advantage over
competitors.
Cosmetic parameters color, space should be incorporated in the designing of the
model.
It is observed that customer is more willing to buy a new car than going for seconds.
So Car manufacturers may launch exchange schemes and offers to push the new
models in the market.
We can also conclude that the internationality of the brands does have an effect on
the purchase decision of the car in the minds of the consumers.
As we had already seen that the foreign brands like Hyundai, Honda, Fiat, are doing
really well due to their excellence in the product quality, technology, features, price
etc. All these attributes does play a very important role in comparison with the local
brands like Maruti Suzuki , Tata Motors etc. whose share in the market is declining
day by day.

18. Car market in ----- is growing consistently and the flood of new models, aggressive
advertising, coupled with competitive pricing and various finance options, customer
is very much positive to own a four-wheeler.
Observing the recommendations, it may be concluded that car manufacturers
already moving the gear to motivate customer with attractive advertising and
positioning, and innovations in scheme designing, tie-ups with various auto loan
providers has ignited the growth fuel and the pricing game has started in the market.
So the customer has more choices at competitive prices. So with more car brands
set to enter the country, and existing players planning to launch new models, the
options available to the prospective buyer are going to increase. However, taking a
decision on which model to buy is also going to get more challenging. For the Indian
car buyer it's perhaps time to get more market savvy.
For the prospects of the Indian Car market, the introduction of low priced cars is
critical. Withthe low-priced cars it is possible that the growth of the market will
accelerate, as the drop in the car prices may make cars more affordable and
increase the number of first time buyers. In addition, low-priced cars may satisfy
demand for the second cars for households in the wealthy and upper middle
classes.
5.3 Suggestions for future research
The current study uses the “convenience sample”, so probably it is not
representative from a statistical point of view, so for future study, if with more time
and budget, future researchers may take random sampling that each member of that
population has an equal probability of being selected
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RESEARCH
a) Respondent's
Name:__________________________________________________
b)
Age:_______________________________________________________________
c) Sex:Â MÂ p p F
d) Marital Status: M p p U

19. e) What is the annual household income?
1) 10000-25000 p 2) 25000-50000 p 3) above 50000
f) I already have a Car .
p Ye p No and p Planning to buy
If Yes, which one?
Maruti 800 p Santro p Indicap Zen
pPaliop Matizp Alto p Wagon R
 Esteemp Ford Iconp Accentp Baleno
 Opal Corsap Opal Astra p Honda Cityp Skoda
 M.Lancer p Toyota Corollap Cheveletp Mercedes
 Any other
g) I have-------cars.( Please tick which ever is applicable).
1p 2 p 3 and aboveÂ
h) I would consider the following for my new purchase: (Tick of the scale of 1-5
where one stands for most important and 5 stands for least important)
Features
Brand ppppp
Mileage ppppp
Convenience
12345
Space ppppp
Comfort ppppp
Cosmetics
Colour ppppp
Accessories ppppp

20. Style ppppp
Other Influences
After sale service ppppp
Exchange offer ppppp
Available finance ppppp
Discount ppppp
i) What was the need for the new car?( Pick your choice from below)
a. Increase in family size p
b. Upgrading for a better car pÂ
c. First time buyer p
d. Increased Affordability p
j) My biggest influence in buying a car was (Tick on the scale of 1-5 where 1 stands
for strongly agree and 5 stands for highly disagree)
my family
1p 2p 3p 4p 5
my friends, relatives and colleagues
1p 2p 3p 4p 5
my dealer and its staff
1p 2p 3p 4p 5
TV advertising and Webs
1p 2p 3p 4p 5
k) How many visit did you made before you made the final purchase?
1-2 visits p 2-3 visits p more than 4
l) What is your opinion of the performance of the following brands on the following
parameters on a scale of 1to 5 , where 1 stands for highly satisfied and 5 stands for
highly dissatisfied?

21. Fuel EconomyCostFeaturesStyle Maintenance Cost
Maruti 800 pppp p
Santro ppppp
Indica ppppp
Zen ppppp
Palio ppppp
Alto ppppp
Wagon R ppppp
Esteem ppppp
Ford Icon ppppp
Accent ppppp
Baleno ppppp
Opal Corsa ppppp
Opal Astra ppppp
Honda City ppppp
Mitsubishi Lancer ppppp
Toyota Corolla ppppp
Skoda ppppp
Chevelet ppppp
m) What is your opinion of the performance of the following company on the
following parameters on a scale of 1to 5 , where 1 stands for highly satisfied and 5
stands for highly dissatisfied?
Good dealer
coverage
Facilities in
the outlet
After sales
service
Reputation of the
company
Resale
Value
Maruti Udyog p p p p p
Hyundai p p p p p

22. Hindustan
Motors
p p p p p
Fiat p p p p p
Honda p p p p p
General Motorsp p p p p
Daewoo p p p p p
Ford p p p p p
Toyota p p p p p
Tata Motors p p p p p
Mercedes p p p p p
Mahindra and
Mahinra
p p p p p
n) Regarding car finance, would you like to undertake credit?
Yes
No
If Yes, how would you move your loan application?
 Through Car Dealer
 Directly approaching the bankÂ
 Through loan agent
 Search the network for discounts
 Utilize on line services
 Others
If car dealer, would you?
 Aim for convenience ,even if end paying more
 Discounts negotiation
 Linkages and faster work accomplishment
 Rely on nexus between financer, dealer, registration office