Margaret, a realty company owner, says her ideal vehicle is an "elegant people-mover." Barbara, a home-based accounting business owner, wants the same. And the new Ford Flex crossover appeals to both.
Yet, these two women desire the same vehicle for different reasons: Margaret wants to transport house-hunting clients from her downtown office. Barbara wants to transport her family of five to their various activities. Can one vehicle fit such diverse needs? That's a challenge auto designers face each time they sit down at the drawing board.
"Everyone is looking for their ideal car," says Freeman Thomas, Ford's strategic design director. "For women in business, the challenge is greater, because if you follow a woman through her day the car goes through many different uses. She has layers in her life, and her vehicle must fulfill dual functions."
The car represents an extension of her personality, Thomas says. "She wants to show her intellect, beauty, athleticism, professionalism and judgment. She does this by the shape, silhouette, proportion, size, individualistic design, the color of the car, and how she feels in it. The choice is what she wants to show to the world, and how it reflects her business."
Thomas believes when we get into a car, we become a character and the car becomes something like a clothing accessory. The elements of the car, the spaciousness, the storage, etc., are functional and follow the script we want to project to the world.
According to Thomas, when a woman selects a vehicle, she has to create a spectrum of ideas surrounding who she is and what she does. "Obviously, the requirements of her work determine if she needs, for instance, a center console with outlets for laptops and other devices, or a tailgate that slides out to form a desk area."
The Lexus RX is the most popular with women, says Bill Chergosky, Lexus interior project chief designer. The premium, mid-size SUV puts everything at a woman's fingertips. "She doesn't have to stretch to reach the dash controls or the buttons on the steering wheel," Chergosky says.
Chergosky believes the driver should have a connection to the vehicle and its features. "Businesswomen want interior materials to be practical and the exterior shape to be pleasing." Road warriors need rolling offices, and he points to the Lexus LS and ES--particularly designed for traveling professionals.
"One reason these models are so popular is that they help owners project confidence, quality, reliability and dependability," the designer says. Also, their gas-assist struts raise the trunk lid automatically when you press the remote, making for easy cargo loading.
"The Female Perspective on Cars," a study conducted by Johnson Controls Consumer Research Group, found that women want design options that offer flexibility, connectivity and re-configurable storage areas, which many current models don't provide. From working woman to mom's taxi service, women long for greater style, more fun and non-mom vehicles. Women carry many personal items in their cars, according to the study, and they like interiors that add to that feeling of "being at home" while commuting.
Another study tracking shopping trends, from Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research, finds that consumers also want environmentally friendly vehicles. Toyota, Honda and Chevrolet top the list of green cars. "Women, in business or not, are particularly attuned to nature," adds Ford's Thomas, "and they personify nature when they choose a beautifully proportioned vehicle, like an elegant horse. Sure, it's a metaphor, just as the ideal car is a metaphor for the owner."