Women becoming the driving force on the road

Women drivers have always seemed to be undermined on the road by the male race however women drivers are now becoming the driving force with more and more cars on the road now being owned by females. Recent statistics show that almost 10 million women in the UK own keys to their own vehicle which equates to a sizeable forty per cent of cars on the road.

If you look at figures from 20 years ago, you’ll see just how sharp the rise has been with just 5.8 million women possessing a car back in the 90’s. This has been a considerable increase to say the least which goes hand in hand with the surge of women now holding a driving license in fact a total of 16 million in the UK (almost the same as the opposite sex).

But what other reasons explain this sharp increase in numbers? Well car manufacturers have realised that female car buyers are big business for them and as their buying behaviour can be different to the opposite sex, women have become an independent target market in their own right.

Traditionally male buyers were the predominant target market but now top selling manufacturers have created an ever increasing range of models aimed at women such as the Mini One, the Fiat 500, Renault Clio and Volkswagen Beetle to name a few. This has seen a rise in more aesthetically pleasing cars becoming available to female purchasers with a friendly design and colour palette. Whereas men tend to favour luxury models, large SUVs and pickups, women seem to favour small SUVs and crossovers.

It is not just quirky and cute cars that are being aimed at women either. The big luxury brands are using their marketing campaigns and glitzy showrooms to pull in both men and women into the forecourt. Only last month Porsche announced Maria Sharapova as their new brand ambassador, a rare but bold move putting a female face to their name. A brand dominated by male buyers, this deal could indicate an attempt to cleverly appeal to both male & female buyers.