Appearance is becoming increasingly important to car shoppers
Friday, September 05, 2008
By Don Hammonds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Chevrolet's 2008 Malibu has drawn praise for styling, such as the smooth lines of the front grille, that makes it look like a more expensive car.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but automotive styling also is firmly planted in the minds of industry executives as a potential difference between success or failure in today's challenging market.

Looks have been a concern in the auto industry since the days of General Motors icon Harley Earl, who is credited with ushering in styling as an important element in automotive manufacturing with the 1927 LaSalle.

Today, styling is No. 4 on a lengthy list of 20 factors that car shoppers consider in the their decision-making process, with only reliability, durability and quality of workmanship ranking ahead, according to the Initial Quality Study by J.D. Power & Associates.

"Styling is becoming so important now because we have just gone through a phase in the late 1990s when vehicles looked much the same," said John Tews, director of media relations at J.D. Power.

"Now people are looking for ways to differentiate themselves, and you see that in the uses of bolder colors and style. We never really lost our passion for cars, we just went through a very utilitarian period."

Back in the '90s, he said, silver, black or white were the order of the day now, you see vehicles in bold oranges and yellows and retro shades of green.

So what makes successful styling?

First and foremost, industry analysts say, the car or truck has to have a strong relationship to the rest of the company's products.

"There are certain forms of theme and structure out there, so you know immediately that a Ford is a Ford, and Chevy is a Chevy, and a Honda is a Honda as soon as you see them," said Peter Morici, a University of Maryland professor who follows the auto industry.

"Probably the best lineup in this regard is Toyota. Whether you are looking at a Corolla, a Yaris or all the way up to a Lexus, you know they are from the same family tree. They are fairly nice-looking products, and the elements of style that they've carried all through the years work well to both their small and larger vehicles," he added.

A family resemblance to other models in the company lineup can be a big help in smoothing the way for public acceptance when new models come out bearing that nameplate.

Another important requisite for styling success can be summed up in one word: details.

"I think these days there's a lot to be said for details, especially those you don't necessary see as important things like cut lines for the car's exterior, the panels and how close they come together," said Jack Nerad, editorial director for Kelley Blue Book.

Take key fobs and controls, for instance. The key fob is "the very first thing that a person picks up in the morning to get to their car," Mr. Morici said. A cheap looking key fob can make you feel as though you're driving something 'bargain basement.'"

On the other hand, a good looking, eye-catching key fob might make you feel you're driving a better car.

A good example of this is Mazda's key fob, Mr. Morici said. "It looks like it belongs to a much more expensive car." The Mazda's fob is a rectangular, chic looking device emblazoned with the car's insignia that can fit easily in your wallet.

As for controls such as knobs, switches and the like, Mr. Tews said, "We've seen with some of our studies where the design, look and feel of knobs on the dashboard are becoming awfully important. Consumers are paying a lot of attention to those, more than ever before."

But styling isn't uniformly important. With some types of products, looks are relatively unimportant; with others, such as sport cars and luxury models, style is paramount.

"It all varies by segment, " said Tom Libby of J.D. Power. "In the midsized car segment, styling plays a lesser role because people are looking for the utilitarian qualities more. For small basic cars and compact, conventional sedans like Corolla, along with minivans, styling doesn't play much of a role."

The same is true of trucks but only for midsize ones. Full-size trucks, because they are larger, offer a much bigger canvas for expression and uniqueness. That's why Chevy's subtly elegant Silverado, Ford's brawny F-150 and Dodge's powerful looking Ram have adopted three strikingly different design themes.

What other vehicles work?

Analysts almost uniformly identify Chevy's Malibu as an expensive-looking car that has been styled quite successfully.

"It's a very beautiful vehicle, and very road-worthy, too; and for a mass-production car at its price point, it is a very, very nice car," Mr. Morici said.

But Mr. Morici picked the Malibu's chief competitor, the Honda Accord, as personifying the best styling for this model year. "That thing is just gorgeous. The Accord shows how much can be accomplished in styling a $25,000 vehicle. That's part of what makes the Accord the gold standard in modern mass-production vehicles."

He thinks, aside from the Malibu, that General Motors still has a way to go. "I think [vice chairman of global product development] Robert Lutz has greatly improved GM's looks, but there's still a problem of them all not fitting together and enabling onlookers to be able to say that's a GM vehicle. GM's sedans still don't have particularly good, strong styling identity. To be successful, a company's cars must look related, like cousins or siblings," Mr. Morici said.

Ford's come a long way, too in the last few years, analysts say. Often the most cautious of Big Three with styling, Ford has broken out of that mold with the edgy Ford Flex crossover, which has a square, low slung look with side strakes that bring to mind wood-paneled station wagons of the past.

But heritage and long-running styling traditions have tripped up Ford as far as its Lincoln line is concerned, Mr. Morici said.

"The problem is that Lincolns have traditionally been long, sleek cars. And now they've been trying to make that styling statement with the smaller Lincoln MKZ, and it just doesn't work," he said.

On the other hand, Ford's upcoming Fiesta compact has received almost universal acclaim for being one of the most beautiful subcompacts in the world. Analysts expect it to be a huge seller for the company when it is introduced in 2010.

Chrysler seems to be having a rough go of it these days, with strong criticism of its Sebring and Dodge Avenger sedans. Since the Chrysler 300 and Pacifica models, along with Dodge's Charger, the only truly successful design for the company has been the highly acclaimed Dodge Challenger, analysts say.

"Chrysler simply doesn't spend enough on the interiors of its cars, which all have a basic, inexpensive look to them," Mr. Morici said.

Almost universally, Jaguar, Audi and Mercedes were named as being among the most beautiful production cars in the world. All of them have carefully chosen their styling hallmarks and traditions and kept their designs simple and sophisticated, thus projecting what one analyst called "confident luxury."

"Audi is simply well done in a general way all across their line. They are very understated and have smooth, clean styling as their constant. Other than Jaguar, their design is the best of any in the luxury market. On the other hand, Mercedes' CLS (four door coupe) is one of the most beautiful cars on the road," Mr. Libby said.

"In the luxury field, I think Infiniti models are very leading edge; they are iconoclastic, and don't so much follow the leader styling. Sometimes, some of their design elements may not be completely successful, but most parts of them are very well done," he added.

All of these products share another important quality when it comes to styling, Mr. Libby said. "The styling fits the purpose of these vehicles. All of the elements work together in harmony with one another."