With BMW X4, Mercedes GLA and Porsche Macan, three lifestyle SUVs came onto the market last year, which fill a previously unoccupied niche for their respective German premium manufacturer. Your goal is clear: conquer new target groups. According to an analysis by the Frankfurt market researchers from Dataforce, not all three succeed equally well.
The change of brand was caused primarily by the Porsche. Only 21 percent of the Macan drivers came from another Porsche-Model of the small SUV from Stuttgart, the Macan attracted 79 percent of its buyers from other brands. Before that, 8,5 percent drove an Audi Q5, six percent the BMW X3 and 3 Series BMW and five percent the Mercedes M-Class.
The new GLA- Most of the drivers came from other Mercedes models: 65,8 percent had previously driven a car from Stuttgart. Around 19 percent switched from the C-Class, 13 percent from the B-Class, about one in ten previously drove A-Class. 34 percent of GLA buyers came from other manufacturers: eight percent previously had a BMW 3 Series, seven percent a VW Golf and 5,4 percent an A4.
The BMW X4 is even less powerful when it comes to capturing new target groups: a good 77 percent of X4 drivers have already driven BMW. In around a third it was an X3, 17 percent named a 5 and 15,5 percent from a 3. The Audi Q5 has changed three percent, the Mini and A5 a good one percent.
The market researchers determined the migration movements within the framework of permanent statistics on new registrations. They also examined the age of the buyers. The GLA is particularly broad and attracts above-average young (25-34 years) and old (75+ years) drivers. Many buy the X4 in the age group 45 to 54 years, the Macan was popular with the 65 to 74 year olds.
Author: Hanne Lübbehüsen / SP-X