In a competitive global marketplace, one key way for auto manufacturers to keep customers satisfied is to anticipate and meet their future wants and desires. We asked drivers what multi-media and entertainment features they might want in tomorrow’s car. What they wanted differed by market – sometimes a little, but for some factors quite significantly. This means car manufacturers need to adapt their models for each country, and to do that they need to understand those market differences.

When it comes to what Japanese drivers want from their future car infotainment systems, their top three future feature requirements mirrored those in the other three countries in the study (Germany, the US and Italy): easy to access voice support/information systems, color head up display, and infotainment systems compatible with different operating systems (like iOS, Android, Windows 8).

Overall, Japanese drivers rated current infotainment systems the lowest in the survey. However, two features stood out as more desirable to Japanese drivers than those in the US: tablet PC as a full replacement to a built-in infotainment system and passenger head-up display with a functionality that includes watching movies. In the US, in comparison drivers chose the ability to video conference in-car and waterproof/spill-proof interior vehicle electrics.

This article was originally published on GfK. To read the rest of the story, please click here.

GfK is one of the world’s leading research companies, with more than 13,000 experts working in over 100 markets, every day. To learn more about GfK’s Automotive practice, and to see more insights on demand in the Auto industry, click here.

See a comparison table of car multimedia interface suppliers on GlobalSources.com