Only one lady driver...
We’d heard metallic was big this autumn, but the ‘fashion designer’s’ newest creation takes the trend to the extreme. Proving that a clutch isn’t just something for holding your lipstick, Posh has been snapped up as ‘creative design executive’ for the new Range Rover Evoque — the company’s smallest, lightest and most fuel-efficient four-wheeler.
Here at home, fellow WAG Amy Huberman was recently handed a set of keys to the Evoque, which starts at €40,975.
So with Posh and Amy on board, could a shiny new Range Rover become the latest accessory for fashion-conscious female motorists?
“Victoria Beckham knows a lot about luxury products,” says Range Rover design director Gerry McGovern. “She has her own fashion business that’s been going for three years and has gained critical acclaim. Her appointment adds a new dimension to my design team as we continue to design products to appeal to a wider audience.”
The one-time popstar helped design the inside of the Evoque which includes features like a pop-up automatic gear changer, panoramic roof option and park-assist system. “I think when you talk about Victoria Beckham ‘designing’ a car, you’d need to have tongue buried firmly in cheek,” says Paddy Comyn of Completecar.ie.
“It’s arguable how much input she actually had into the final product — at a recent Evoque launch I attended, she wasn’t even mentioned.”
Whether or not Posh donned her designer overalls during the making of the motor, the trendy new arrival to Irish roads is steering luxury motors in a more female-friendly direction.
While the Evoque isn’t being explicitly marketed at women, Rover say its features — including push-button start, paddle-shift controls on the steering wheel, hill-start assist and heated front seats — are likely to appeal to lady drivers.
“Amy Huberman is the perfect fit for the brand,” says Melanie McCourt of Jaguar Land Rover Ireland. “She’s young, trendy and has broad appeal, a bit like the car itself. Sure, it’s that bit smaller and lighter, but the Evoque isn’t just geared towards women. All our vehicles are designed to appeal to both genders — not just one or the other.”
Consumer studies show women control 80% of spending in the home, including the family car. In the States, two-thirds of new cars are bought by women, but there are no comparable figures for here.
While in the past the only women in car ads were sprawled across the hood in a bikini — these days, they’re just as likely to be shown fully-clothed behind the wheel. If Range Rover seem reluctant to label the Evoque a ‘girl’s car’, they’re not alone. Previous attempts to market motors solely at women have ‘crashed’.
Take the 1950s Dodge La Femme — a pink-and-lavender coupé complete with a matching rain cape, umbrella and a makeup compartment on the back of the seat.
Although the Barbie mobile grabbed headlines, the company sold just 3,000 units during its two-year stint.
In 2004, Volvo — a company whose emblem is the universal symbol of the male gender — unveiled plans for its YCC (your concept car), a car by women for women. Featuring auto-opening gull-wing doors, computerised parking assistance and head-rests with a hole in the middle to accommodate a ponytail, the futuristic stereotype-on-wheels was never made. The targeted female audience failed to be seduced by the girly add-ons.
“If there’s one thing I learned during my time as a car salesman, it’s never try and sell a car to a girl based on it being ‘a girl’s car’,” says motoring journalist Paddy Comyn. “Twenty years ago, there was a perception that women would buy a car simply because they liked the colour — today’s female drivers are a lot shrewder.
“Unlike their husbands, who don’t want to let on they know nothing about cars, women will ask more questions and haggle harder. As car buyers, they’re very pragmatic — looking at things like fuel-efficiency, the cost of insurance and taxation, safety and luggage storage.”
Subtle it wasn’t — but the ill-fated Volvo YCC claimed to meet the top six desires of female car buyers: ease of parking, comfortable seats, visibility, ample storage space, easy maintenance and the ability to personalise your vehicle.
Other car-makers, including Ford, Nissan and Mazda, are hiring female designers to tap into what women want behind the wheel. Even that manliest of motors, Porsche, has sought to woo women with its sport utility vehicle, the Cayenne.
So when it comes to cars, what do women really want? “Women are as interested about the inside of the vehicle as they are about the outside, and I don’t think that was the case before,” says Christine Overstreet of Heels and Wheels, a girls-only automotive organisation. “In this economy, people are price-conscious ... but value is more important. Everybody is still looking for style and everybody is looking for safety. I want a safe, comfortable vehicle that will get me where I need to be. I don’t need seven seats — but I love heated ones.”
Boasting everything from blind-spot warning to tyre pressure monitors and ambient lighting — offered in some models by Volvo, BMW, Mercedes, Ford and Audi among others — female-friendly cars have come a long way since the clumsy tokenism of the Dodge La Femme.
So why are men still so embarrassed to be seen driving ‘girl’s cars’ like the MINI Cooper S, Nissan Micra or Volkswagen Beetle — and manufacturers so reticent to brand them as such? “No manufacturer will pitch a car solely at women for fear of alienating 50% of their target market,” says Paddy Comyn. “But some cars like the Mini or Micra fall naturally into one category. It can be a big problem for brands. If you look at the new Volkswagen Beetle out next year, it’s much bigger and butcher in a bid to shake its girly image.”
“Obviously, different cars are tailored to meet a particular profile,” says Jeanne McGann of Nissan Ireland. “But I don’t think gender comes into the design process. Our cars appeal equally to men and women — the only one which shows a slight skew is the Micra, with 61% female customers.
“Speaking generally, Nissan features, like the ISOFIX system for anchoring child safety seats and intelligent key (keyless ignition and entry) system, may appeal to female drivers.”
As for the Range Rover Evoque, it remains to be seen if Victoria Beckham’s stamp of approval will make any difference to female drivers here.
“Range Rover attracts a big female customer base anyway,” says Paddy Comyn. “I think the Evoque will do well with Irish women, who like the feeling of security offered by an SUV — but I’d happily drive one too.
“It’s a great car — I didn’t want to like it, but I did.”
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