Pub. 7 2018-2019 Issue 2

16 San Diego Dealer • More than 25 percent of attendees who planned to purchase a vehicle had their minds made up about which brand to purchase after visiting the show. • Over 25 percent of buyers gave advice to six or more people about vehicles and spread the word to non-attendees. • Even after the event, auto shows influenced purchase decisions (69 percent of visitors said they plan to visit a manufacturer’s web site; 55 percent planned to visit a dealer). Perhaps here more than in any other city, consumers were not restricted to static exhibits within the exhibit hall as they scoped out the cars of their dreams. With a dozen brands participating, show-goers had an opportunity to experience the technology and real-world performance attributes of nearly 100 vehicles available for test drives. And as dealers, you all know how influential a test drive can be. Brands providing outdoor consumer test drives this year included Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford (including the all-new Ranger before its release), Jeep, Mazda, Nissan, Ram, Subaru, and Toyota. Plus, Camp Jeep, a perennial favorite, was staged inside the convention center. In addition to evaluating new vehicles, consumers attended the show to see what’s new in vehicle technology. While fully autonomous vehicles are a ways off, most newmodels contain some level of autonomous technology, such as lane changewarning systems and self-parking systems, in addition to advanced connectivity offered by nearly every brand. Rameven demonstrated self-parking live on the show floor. Feature attractions that also drive show attendance were popular once again this year. SDG&E sponsored electric vehicle day in the ThinkBlue Eco Center. SDG&E personnel staffed the exhibit and answered questions about electric vehicles, the EV infrastructure in San Diego, government incentives, and more. The Eco Center itself was a hub for all things electric and featured a variety of plug-in and hybrid vehicles frommore than a dozen brands. Continued From Page 13