Photo: Ford
Ford is one of the few automakers out there sharing with the entire world the demographics studies it uses when it decides in favor of promoting this or that product to a specific group of people.
Back in February, the Blue Oval let us all know how it added a segment-exclusive diesel engine for the redesigned Ford Transit Connect Wagon as a means to attract members of the Baby Boomer generation, or people born between 1946-1964.
Now, Ford says it has identified the age group responsible for the boost in sales for subcompact SUVs forecasted for the years ahead: Gen Z drivers, or people so young they barely got a driver’s license, born from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s.
As per Ford’s research, sales of subcompact SUVs to people aged 18 to 24 are likely to surpass sales of subcompact cars by as early as 2019. The main reason behind the trend is the fact that this type of SUVs is an affordable first-car option.
With the Gen Z members accounting for one-quarter of the U.S. population (about 81 million people), the fact that only 2,840 of them purchased a subcompact SUV last year does not scare Ford. That’s because if the numbers per se aren’t very encouraging, the percentages are: the 2,480 people represent an increase of 541 percent compared to four years ago.
As you might have guessed, the main tool with which Ford plans to win Gen Z over is the EcoSport, the weird looking SUV that disappointed Consumer Reports a few days ago.
“Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials – everybody wants their SUV, and Gen Z is no different,” said Erich Merkle, Ford U.S. sales analyst.
“As more new small SUVs like Ford EcoSport become available, you’ll see the subcompact SUV segment continue to climb as a popular new car of choice for first-time buyers.”
Now, Ford says it has identified the age group responsible for the boost in sales for subcompact SUVs forecasted for the years ahead: Gen Z drivers, or people so young they barely got a driver’s license, born from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s.
As per Ford’s research, sales of subcompact SUVs to people aged 18 to 24 are likely to surpass sales of subcompact cars by as early as 2019. The main reason behind the trend is the fact that this type of SUVs is an affordable first-car option.
With the Gen Z members accounting for one-quarter of the U.S. population (about 81 million people), the fact that only 2,840 of them purchased a subcompact SUV last year does not scare Ford. That’s because if the numbers per se aren’t very encouraging, the percentages are: the 2,480 people represent an increase of 541 percent compared to four years ago.
As you might have guessed, the main tool with which Ford plans to win Gen Z over is the EcoSport, the weird looking SUV that disappointed Consumer Reports a few days ago.
“Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials – everybody wants their SUV, and Gen Z is no different,” said Erich Merkle, Ford U.S. sales analyst.
“As more new small SUVs like Ford EcoSport become available, you’ll see the subcompact SUV segment continue to climb as a popular new car of choice for first-time buyers.”
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