IJRMEC

Volume2, Issue 2(February 2012)

ISSN: 2250-057X

CAR MARKET AND BUYING BEHAVIOR- A STUDY OF CONSUMER

PERCEPTION
Nikhil Monga
Assistant Professor & HOD, Department of Management Studies, Phonics Group of Institutions,
Roorkee
Dr. Bhuvnender Chaudhary
Dean, Phonics Group of Institution, Roorkee
Saurabh Tripathi
Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, Phonics Group of Institutions, Roorkee

ABSTRACT
The automobile industry today is the most lucrative industry. Due to the increase in disposable
income in both rural and urban sector and easy finance being provided by all the financial
institutes, the passenger car sales have increased at the rate of 38% per annum in June 2005-06
over the corresponding period in the pervious year. Further competition is heating up in the
sector with a host of new players coming in and other like Porsche, Bentley, Audi, and BMW all
set to venture in the Indian markets. One factor that could help the companies in the marketing
of their product is by knowing and creating a personality for their brands. This research attempts
to answer some of the questions regarding brand personality of selected cars in India by
conducting the market research. This personality sketching will help in knowing what a customer
(or a potential customer) thinks about a given brand of car and what are the possible factors
guiding a possible purchase. Similarly, the idea of measuring the customer satisfaction will serve
the same purpose of determining the customer perception. Thus, by measuring the willingness
of existing users of a car to recommend it to others will help the car manufacturers to chalk out
the entire Customer Buying Behavior. This research will be helpful for the new car entrant
companies in India to find out the possible gaps between the customer expectations and the
present market offerings. It will be mainly a primary research and the information will be
gathered from both primary and secondary research. The research will analyze the applicability
of existing research concepts, theories, and tools for evaluating consumer satisfaction.
Keywords: Automobile, Car Market, Buying Behavior, Perception
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INTRODUCTION
The concept of buying behavior is of prime importance in marketing and has evolved over the
years. It is important to understand consumer buying behavior as it plays a vital role in crating an
impact on purchase of products. The human wants are unlimited and always expect more and
more. Car Models are no exception to this behavior. This lead to constant modifications of Car
Models & its features and today we see a new model coming into the market practically every
quarter. The market is a very important place to study the behavior of consumers and also
provide useful insights what a consumer requires in a product. It is only through research that a
company will be able to study the buying behavior of consumers. As one of the measurements
of the performance of the quality management system, the organizations shall monitor
information relating to customer perception as to whether the organization has met customer
requirements. The method for obtaining and using this information shall be determined The
requirement has been there in the QS9000 standard clause 4.1.6 which says: Trends in customer
satisfaction and key indicators of customer dissatisfaction shall be documented and supported by
objective information. These trends shall be compared to those of competitors, or appropriate
benchmarks, and reviewed by senior management. There is obviously a strong link between
customer satisfaction and customer retention. Customers perception of service and quality of
product will determine the success of the product or service in the market. With better
understanding of customers perceptions, companies can determine the actions required to meet
the customers needs. They can identify their own strengths and weaknesses, where they stand in
comparison to their competitors, chart out the path future progress and improvement. Customer
satisfaction measurement helps to promote an increased focus on customer outcomes and
stimulate improvements in the work practices and processes used within the company. The
decision-making process consists of a series of steps which the consumer undergoes. First of all,
the decision is made to solve a problem of any kind. This may be the problem of creating a cool
atmosphere in your home. For this, information search is carried out, to find how the cool
atmosphere can be provided, e.g. by an air-conditioner or, by a water-cooler. This leads to the
evaluation of alternatives and a cost benefit-analysis is made to decide which product and brand
image will be suitable, and can take care of the problem suitably and adequately. Thereafter the
purchase is made and the product is used by the consumer. The constant use of the product leads
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to the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the consumer, which leads to repeat purchases, or to the
rejection of the product. The marketing strategy is successful if consumers can see a need which
a company.s product can solve and, offers the best solution to the problem. For a successful
strategy, the marketer must lay emphasis on the product/brand image in the consumer.s mind.
Position the product according to the customers. likes and dislikes. The brand which matches the
desired image of a target market sells well. Sales are important and sales are likely to occur if the
initial consumer analysis was correct and matches the consumer decision process. Satisfaction of
the consumer, after the sales have been effected, is important for repeat purchase. It is more
profitable to retain existing customers, rather than looking for new ones. The figure below gives
an idea of the above discussion.

In this model, the consumer passes through five stages: problem recognition, information search,
evaluation and selection of alternatives, decision implementation, and post-purchase evaluation.
1) Problem Recognition: In this information processing model, the consumer buying process
begins when the buyer recognizes a problem or need. For example, Doug may realize that
his best suit doesnt look contemporary any more. Or, Kathleen may recognize that her
personal computer is not performing as well as she thought it should. These are the kinds
of problem that we as consumers encounter all the time. When we found out a difference
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between the actual state and a desired state, a problem is recognized. When we find a
problem, we usually try to solve the problem. We, in other words, recognize the need to
solve the problem. But how?
2) Information Search: When a consumer discovers a problem, he/she is likely to search for
more information. Kathleen may simply pay more attention to product information of a
personal computer. She becomes more attentive to computer ads, computers purchased by
her friends, and peer conversations about computers. Or, she may more actively seek
information by visiting stores, talking to friends, or reading computer magazines, among
others. Through gathering information, the consumer learns more about some brands that
compete in the market and their features and characteristics
3) Evaluation and Selection of Alternatives: How does the consumer process competitive
brand information and evaluate the value of the brands? Unfortunately there is no single,
simple evaluation process applied by all consumers or by one consumer in all buying
situations. One dominant view, however, is to see the evaluation process as being
cognitively driven and rational. Under this view, a consumer is trying to solve the
problem and ultimately satisfying his/her need. In other words, he/she will look for
problem-solving benefits from the product. The consumer, then, looks for products with a
certain set of attributes that deliver the benefits. Thus, the consumer sees each product as
a bundle of attributes with different levels of ability of delivering the problem solving
benefits to satisfy his/her need. The distinctions among the need, benefits, and attributes
are very important. One useful way to organize the relationships among the three is a
hierarchical one (Figure 2). Although simplified, Figure 2 is an example of how a bundle
of attributes (i.e., a product or, more specifically, personal computer) relates to the
benefits and underlying needs of Kathleen.
4) Decision Implementation: To actually implement the purchase decision, however, a
consumer needs to select both specific items (brands) and specific outlets (where to buy)
to resolve the problems. There are, in fact, three ways these decisions can be made: 1)
simultaneously; 2) item first, outlet second; or 3) outlet first, item second. In many
situations, consumers engage in a simultaneous selection process of stores and brands.
For example, in our Kathleens personal computer case, she may select a set of brands
based on both the products technical features (attributes) and availability of brands in the
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computer stores and mail-order catalogs she knows well. It is also possible, that she
decides where to buy (e.g., CompUSA in her neighborhood) and then chooses one or two
brands the store carries. Once the brand and outlet have been decided, the consumer
moves on to the transaction (buying).
5) Post-purchase Evaluation: Post-purchase evaluation processes are directly influenced by
the type of preceding decision-making process. Directly relevant here is the level of
purchase involvement of the consumer. Purchase involvement is often referred to as the
level of concern for or interest in the purchase situation, and it determines how
extensively the consumer searches information in making a purchase decision. Although
purchase involvement is viewed as a continuum (from low to high), it is useful to
consider two extreme cases here. Suppose one buys a certain brand of product (e.g., Diet
Pepsi) as a matter of habit (habitual purchase). For him/her, buying a cola drink is a very
low purchase involvement situation, and he/she is not likely to search and evaluate
product information extensively. In such a case, the consumer would simply purchase,
consume and/or dispose of the product with very limited post-purchase evaluation, and
generally maintain a high level of repeat purchase motivation (Figure 3).

INDUSTRY STATISTICS OF AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY

1

The domestic Indian passenger car market (including utility vehicles) totaled 900,000 units
(with a CAGR of 10 per cent over the past 4 years) while the exports were 130,000 million units
(with a registered CAGR of 68 per cent over the past 4 years) during financial year 2004

The Indian two-wheeler Industry is one of the largest in the world, and is expected to
maintain robust growth in the future

At the back of this phenomenal automotive growth is the success of the Indian auto component
industry. Presently a US$ 6.7 billion industry, it is expected to almost treble in less than eight years
time to US$ 17 billion by 2012

India offers a distinct technological and cost-competitive advantage, which global Original
Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and automotive suppliers are leveraging for both
manufacturing and research facilities. The passenger car market is projected to grow at a CAGR
of 12.3 per cent over the next few years. Growth in the mid-size and premium car segments is

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expected to outpace the overall market growth. This Figure that represents the Gross turnover of
Industry

Source:
SIAM

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Source:
SIAM

Source:
SIAM

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research objectives for the project are to determine the demographic variables of the
customers of different brands of cars, to Examine the customer perception about the cars to judge

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the satisfaction level of car owners of different brands.The research tracks responses at following
two layers i.e., Product related parameters and Dealer related parameters

FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

Motives For buying a car

40

35

39
30

25

20

23
Series1

15

17
10

12
9

Increase in
disposable
income

Better safety Family needs

at roads

Increase in
family size

Suits your
lifestyle and
personality

Motives

As per the analysis shows, increase in disposable income seems to be the most important reason
for buying a car. This trend is reflected in the growth of the Per capita Disposable income and
consequently the growth of the Indian automobile industry especially in the B and C segment
cars. Similarly, the growing family needs like working partners, increasing family size, status,
etc. add to the motives of buying a car.

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Product Specific Reasons for Buying a Car

2
10

32
Afforable prices
Technical superiority
Comfort
Manufacturer's image
Value for money

28

Safety
After sale services

12

32% of the respondents suggested that affordable prices are the most important factor while
purchasing a car. This is the reason for sticking to a particular segment till the next
substantial rise in the personal disposable income. This reason is followed by Value for
money where the customers look for the best product, best services and best repute all
bundled in one with the best deal they can strike. This explains the reason for the stagnant or
sudden growth in sale of B and C segment cars just before budget and near occasions like
Diwali.

Level of satisfaction

Interiors for Segment B cars

100%

80%

4
4

Adjustable Front Seat Headrest

Music System

60%

Interior Colour
Dash Board

3
40%

Leg Room

20%
3

Maruti
Wagon
R

Maruti
Swift

0%

www.indusedu.org
Maruti
Estilo

Indica Aveo Santro

V2

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Commerce
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Volume2, Issue 2(February 2012)

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Interiors play a very important role in deciding the sale of a car. More plush, comfortable and
exotic the interiors are more are the chances of its being popular among the customers. For this
reason manufacturers spend billions of dollars every year on R&D to continuously improve the
interiors of their cars. Seats, leg room, dash board, armrests etc are few of the options which
count for the interiors. As the analysis show Getz scores substantially high w.r.t. its counterparts
on the account of music system installed. Similarly, Indica V2 races far ahead as far as leg room
is concerned. However, Wagon R fares badly on this front. Overall, almost all cars get a mixed
response in this segment as far as the interiors are concerned.
0%
Esteem

Indigo

o Marina

Customer Satisfactonalen
based on Interiors of Cars

Verna

cen
Op

100%

tra

ig
Ind

Cars' Interior Parameters

Satisfaction level ( in %age)

80%

60%

40%

20%

c
As one can see most of the
respondents are quite happy with
the interiors of their respective cars.
However,

one

striking

point

observed here are that almost every

5

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and
Commerce

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Volume2, Issue 2(February 2012)

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Customer Satisfaction on the Safety
Parameter

90%

30%

Customer

Satisfaction Level ( %age)

100%

3)

Safety
Parameters
of Different
cars

20%
10%

80%

0%
3

70%
3
60%

50%

(9)

4
3

40%

and Indica V2 fight neck to neck

on almost every front, with

like

margina crossbars
lly

under

better indashboard and

ABS
Air Bags
Crossbar
under
Dashboard

An e systems. Most of the cars in

ti this

the

Aerodynamic
Shape

R
(
2

Indica features
As can be noted Maruti Swift

Intensity of
front light

Maruti
Estilo

segment

fare

relatively

Br similar and very close to each

ak other on most of the fronts.

Customer satisfaction level

Customer
Satisfaction Level on
Safety Parameters

100%
90%

80%
70%

60%

Intensity of front light

5
50%

Air Bags

40%
30%

Aerodynamic Shape
ABS

Crossbar under Dashboard

1

20%
10%
0%

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Customer Satisfaction Level on the Fuel Efficiency

Esteem Baleno Indigo Indigo Optra Accent Verna

Marina
Cars' Safety Parameters

As one can see most of the

respondents are quite happy with the safety parameters of their respective cars. However, one
striking point observed here are that almost every car fares neutral on the safety parameters.

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20%

90%

80%
70%

3
3

Maruti
Estilo

(9)

50%
40%

depends

upon

the

performance and maintenance costs

of the car. This is the reason why
this class of parameter was chosen
for this study. And the results show
that Marutis Wagon R fares the best
car in its segment as most fuel

CustomerSatisfactionLevel (
terms)

efficient car of all. Similarly, Wagon

Internatio

Maruti
Wagon

Maruti Stability at
higher speed
Swift
Pick up

Mileage

R(23)

Fuel
Consumption

Cars' Fuel
Efficiency
Parameters

30%

highly

0%

60%

The customer choice of the car

in%age

10%

ustomer

CSatisfaction Level ( %age)

100%

R fares the best

effiameter.

Indica

V2

performs

on the terms like

cie consistently on all the parameters

mileage

but

it

nc and Getz fares really well on pick

lags

behind

y up whereas it fares badly on fuel

Hyundais Santro

an consumption.

on pick up front.

d condition for Getz it should be seen

So this segment

mil as a red signal for the manufacturers

shows a mixed

ea so that Getz does not end up being

bag of response

ge like Fiats Palio famous as a car for

for

par drinking petrol.

the

Fuel

Considered

Customer Satisfaction
Level on the basis of
Fuel Efficiency

Marina
Car'
s
Fue
l
Effi
cien
cy
Par
ame
ters

100%
90%
4

80%
70%
60%

n al Journal of Research i

this

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Segment C cars are known as hybrid car segment between the B segments fuel efficiency with
the luxury of the D class. Checking the same it seems that most of the cars in this segment are
placed much closed to each other with very little difference here and there. Most of the cars are
fuel efficient w.r.t their weights and pickups. Indigo fares as the best car in terms of fuel
efficiency. Baleno fares a little bit behind than its counterparts as far as the stability at high
speeds and mileage is concerned.Dealers is the middle men between a car manufacturer and its
customers. Dealer thus becomes the most important link in joining the company to its customers
as he is the person who will sell the product, will deliver it and will keep on providing the after
sales services to the customers as and when required. So, it becomes necessary automatically to

0%

Customer Satisfaction Level on the Basis of Dealers

100%
90%

80%

60%

10%

echnical

ice

are

Tim

vided

Ser
o

ty
li

Cost ai labi
v

ro

ice

Se

rv

Informatio

Hyunda
i

Advertisements

5
4

General
Motors

4
4

(Proximity)
(Promotions)

Distance

Car

30%
20%

4
3

40%

aci

70%

50%

ustomer

C Satisfaction Level ( in %age terms)

study dealer as a part of customers satisfaction journey with the product called car!

Dealers releated
parameters for diff
Manufacturers

Tata
Motors
Maruti
Suzuki

quite obvious. Also,

c ed all thanks to the vast, extensive

While buying a car, dealersthe cost of service

choice play a very important role provided by Maruti
in deciding the company anddealers is the lowest

o and well managed dealer system.

models choice. So dealers act as followed by Tata

influencers on the completeMotors. Similarly, for

buying

theB and C segment cars

prospective customers. Among allMaruti emerges out as

es

the listed factors Maruti fares thethe

clear
winner
best among all its counter parts in among the four car
terms of dealer density which is
56

behavior

of

m
p
ni
st
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Brand Image
6

CustomerPerception( Avg)

Series1

5
4

Maruti
Estilo

Maruti
Wagon R

Maruti
Swift

Indica V2

Aveo

Santro

Getz

Car Brands

as per the analysis, Santro is the car whose brand image is most preferred in the market. This is
because of the reason, that its from the house of Hyundai a South Korean company known for
its overall image. On the contrary Maruti Estilo and Aveo share the same platform on the brand
image. This can be attributed to the fact that both these cars are relatively new on the block and
market takes time to imbibe and give the brand an image. This is established by the fact that
Marutis Wagon R and Swift are exactly the same as far as the image is concerned.

Customer Perception of Different Cars

Customer Perception( Avg)

Series1

5
4

Esteem

Baleno

Indigo

Indigo

Optra

Accent

Verna

Marina
Car Brands

As the analysis reveals GMs Optra fares as the Best Car as far as customers perception is
concerned about the brand image of the car in the C segment. This is because of the fact that GM

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itself commands an amazing brand image among its customers. Accent and Verna both Hyundai
cars share the same position.
Customer's Ultimate Perception
20
80
10
70
0
60

Yes

Frequency

50

40

30

It seems logical that satisfied

customers will someday become
loyal customers, in other words
there is a positive correlation
between customer satisfaction
scores

and

customer

buying

behavior. If a customer rates the

car very high in satisfying his or
her needs, the car manufacturer
should expect more referrals and
this is reflected in the analysis
that 73% customers say that they
will refer their car to their friends
even if they move to other
segment or other brand.
Custo
mer
Perce
ption

Customer Action ( Will you recommend your car

to your friends?)

Values

Customer Actions

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The analysis shows that most people when moving to upper segment will prefer a different
manufacturer. And the next striking finding is that the customers will prefer both same and
different manufacturers in the B segment cars and there is not much difference in the C segment
also. This behavior is complex to understand as this are the customers who have given whopping
response for recommending their car to their friends. Its the reason why brand perception is so
difficult to understand.

Demographics
age group
<21
21-35
36-55
>55

17

20

21
41

MONTHLY FAMILY INCOME

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monthly family income
<50,000
50,001-1,00,000
1,00,001-2,00,000 >2,00,001

19
33

19

28

Above graphs exhibits the income bracket of the sample size, as evident the majority of the
sample is in the income bracket of < 50,000 a month income. Though none of the bracket is
highly skewed, this enables the study to be wide and not dependent on a set income class, which
was a fortunately desirable result of simple random sampling.
1. Motive to buy the car*segment car B and C
Bar Chart
2
0

segment Car B Estilo

Wagon R
Swift
Santro
Getz

Count

1
5

Indica V2
Aveo
Esteem
Baleno

1
0

Accent
Verna
Indigo Marine
Indigo
Optra

Af
f

A ft

er

al

e
s

er

vi

According to the result, I found oy

that choice of car depends upon n
Internati
these following factors:
l onal
So the choice of car is not driven Journal
6

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better perceived as a preferred car than other cars. But a word of caution here, this perception
may or may not result in a converted sale.
2. Recommend the car to your friend*ranking of Brand and company
Bar Chart
respondants' ranking of
brand and company
image

40

Very Low
Low
Neutral
High
Very High

Count

30

20

10

0
yes

no

Would you recommend your car to your friends

The graph shows that people who rank their car high or very high on the brand image are the
people who recommend their car to their friend. This is something the car companies should look
for as these people may not be the brand loyal but are definitely the people who help a company
to reinforce the brand image propagated by the company.
3. ranking of Brand and Image*Segment B and C car
Bar Chart
segment Car B and

10

C
Estilo
Wagon R
Swift

Santro
Getz

Count

Indica V2
6

Aveo
Esteem
Baleno
Accent

Verna
Indigo Marine
Indigo
Optra

0
Very Low

Low

Neutral

High

Very High

respondants' ranking of brand and company image

This graph shows that how brand image is useful in making the choice of a car especially in the
B and C segment. So, Santro is the car whose brand image is on the top and its the most
preferred car.
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CONCLUSION
To conclude, the results show that the companies are playing on the peripheral cues to maintain
their Total Relationship Management and connect to the customers both present and potential.
The companies are operating in a highly aggressive and competitive global market place and this
climate has led to the emphasis on quality in all aspects. TQM focuses on integration and
coordination as well as the continuous improvement of all activities and processes. Total
Relationship Management (TRM) is a very recent marketing strategy and philosophy. It focuses
on and is concerned with all integrated internal and external activities within and between the
organizations. These two terms are integrated by the manufacturers by building good quality
products and building good relationship with dealers and enhancing service levels.
However, when studied from the point of view of a customer there seems to be no major
difference among the car brands in a segment as far as performance is concerned. The brand
perception is dependant mostly on the peripheral cues depending upon the nature and quality of
the service provided along with the pricing, maintenance, availability of spare parts and related
issues. So, a question arises here that is this the end of road for the branding of cars? Has the
commoditization of cars has started and its time that manufacturers must read the writing on the
wall? It seems so! It seems as an undercurrent sentiment is flowing and the perception of the
customers is changing according to it. So this might be the reason that despite Verna faring so
high on the performance parameters still lags on the account of converted sales.
The study shows that brand perception is something which starts building up before a car is
purchased and goes on with its use and is reflected in the recommendations the customer makes
to his acquaintances for the same car. Also, its seen that the customer might not be using the car
still he holds the perceptions about it. Brand personality of a car is enforced by the sellers in the
mindsets of the customers and the customers react to it by forming their perceptions about the car
and this reflects in the overall brand image of the car. So brand image and brand personality
complement each other and the brand perception aids the building of brand images. Dealers, as
per the study findings, play a very important role in building up the brand perception of the cars.
Since dealers are the connecting link between the customers and the manufacturers thus
becoming the most important link in joining the company to its customers as he is the person
who will sell the product, will deliver it and will keep on providing the after sales services to the
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customers as and when required. So, it becomes necessary automatically to study dealer as a part
of customers satisfaction journey with the product called car! Their proximity to the customers,
the service provided by them and the relationship maintained by them with the customers helps
the car companies to establish and reinstate the brand personality communicated by them to the
customers. Finally the major point that emerges out of this detailed study is a caution for the car
companies. It says that there is no doubt that Indian car market may be growing with a double
digit figure still the car companies have a long way to travel to convince their customers about
the brand personality of their cars and how it suits the prospective buyers. Simply because it
simply is not a guarantee that how so ever good the customer might be holding the brand
perception and how so ever good the brand image may be it is not a guarantee that it will convert
into sale. Cars just like clothes and accessories suit the style and persona of a person and since all
cars will become commodity someday the key to sell and excel in the market will lie with a
person who knows how to use the perceptions of the customers to its use and sell the cars coz
ultimately only that car survives which sells!

REFERENCES
1) Kotler et al. (2004) Chapter 7, pp. 242-244, 'Consumer behaviour' and 'A model of
consumer behaviour'.
2) David L. Albert J. Della Bitta, Consumer Behavior Fourth edition, Tata McGraw Hill,
pp - 22 -25
3) Solomon Michal R. ( 2006 ) Consumer Behavior Pearson Education Delhi pp 31 35
4) Hawkins, Del I., R. J. Best, and K. A. Coney (1983), Consumer Behavior: Implications
for Marketing Strategy, Plano, Texas: Business Publications Inc.
Websites 1) http://www.siamindia.com/scripts/industrystatistics.aspx
2) http://www.siamindia.com/scripts/gross-turnover.aspx
3) http://www.siamindia.com/scripts/market-share.aspx
4) http://www.siamindia.com/scripts/domestic-sales-trend.aspx
5) http://www.learnmarketing.net/consumer.htm

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