As the clock ticked past midnight on June 24, scores of female motorists took to the streets across Saudi Arabia to mark the official end of the Kingdom’s decades-long ban on women driving.
Looking at the time period since the ban was lifted, data from market research company YouGov reveals Toyota is the top car brand for women in Saudi Arabia with an index score of 27.1, followed by Mercedes (26.7) and Lexus (24.2).
The index score is the average of six brand health metrics: Quality, Satisfaction, Impression, Value, Reputation, and Willingness to Recommend. Scores range from -100 to +100.
The complete list is as follows:
In the fast lane
Close to a quarter (24 percent) of women have already applied for a driving license since the country started issuing licenses to women in June this year.
According to research by YouGov Omnibus, although the majority of women in Saudi Arabia have not applied for a license yet, 61 percent (around 3 in 5) of them say they intend to apply for a driving license in the future.
For those who have not and do not intend to apply for a driving license, fear of driving and safety concerns are the top reasons for not wanting to do so.
“Despite the country recently launching a campaign to educate women on driving and create awareness about safety regulations, this still remains a barrier for women trying to get behind the wheel,” the YouGov report said.
The report also added that as much as 20 percent (one in five) of women in the Kingdom think they won’t be a good driver, 27 percent feel it is dangerous and fear car accidents, 24 percent do not know how to drive and 23 percent believe their husbands/ family members would not allow them to drive.
The lifting of the ban also creates a host of opportunities for automakers, the YouGov Omnibus report added.
Over three-quarters of women who intend to drive (78 percent) plan to buy a car, while a majority (84 percent) says the decision of which car to buy rests in their hands.
Small cars preferable
Female drivers who are starting out seem most comfortable with small cars, YouGov said.
When women were asked which type of car they would like to drive, the largest proportion said small sized sedans (16 percent), followed by medium sized sedans (13 percent) and then medium SUVs (11 percent), according to the report.
“It seems safety is a prime concern for women and they are more comfortable to start with a small car. The leading car makers thus have a great opportunity to appeal to these women with the right product offering and a carefully chalked out marketing approach,” said Kerry McLaren, Head of Omnibus – MENA at YouGov.
In terms of car features, the top five most important car features for women were found to be reverse sensors, back cameras, smartphone compatibility, multiple power outlets, cruise control, and keyless entry.
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