Chinese car buyers value smart functions

The AITO booth attracts visitors at the Beijing auto show in April 2024. [Photo by Li Fusheng/chinadaily.com.cn]

New vehicle owners show a strong preference for purchasing smart cockpit technologies such as online navigation, intelligent voice assistants and digital keys, according to a J.D. Power study released on Thursday.

This suggests that smart cockpit technologies are more widely accepted by new vehicle owners in China and are a key factor in their vehicle-buying decisions, showed the 2024 China Tech Experience Index Study.

The study, now in its fifth year, measures the TXI Innovation Index—which consists of the Technology Execution Index and Market Depth Index, both of which are equally weighted—to determine how effectively carmakers bring technologies to market.

The indices combine the level of adoption of new technologies with the excellence in execution. The Execution Index examines how much owners like the technologies and how many problems they experience while using them.

"Under the fierce competition in China's auto market, automakers are ramping up their efforts on smart technologies," said Elvis Yang, general manager of auto product practice at J.D. Power China.

"Smart cabin technologies are still the most frequently used and preferred for repurchase. As automakers upgrade their smart car solutions, this trend will likely continue," added Yang.

However, complaints about instability or inaccuracies have risen for three consecutive years, reaching 46 percent for smart cockpit technologies and 39 percent for smart driving technologies.

These increases show that as smart technologies become more widespread and are used more frequently, new vehicle owners are placing higher demands on stability and accuracy.

"Automakers must balance innovation with quality control to provide a great smart experience for vehicle owners," said Yang.