70% of Belgians choose their car based on safety

More than seven out of 10 Belgians choose the car they buy according to safety criteria and 37% of them say they remain loyal to a brand, it transpires from a study conducted among 2,510 Belgians on behalf of the marketing platform of newspaper publishers association NewsPapersWork. However, the Belgian car industry federation, Febiac, somewhat qualifies the findings of the study. "According to our own findings, Belgians choose a new car based on the brand, fuel consumption, purchase price, model and overall practicality," says Febiac spokesman Joost Kaesemans. "Safety and CO2 emissions are also important criteria, but they are regarded as self-evident," he said. The survey also suggests that 37% of respondents claim to stay loyal to a brand. "This surprises me because international research shows that loyalty to automotive brands is declining," he says again. It is also clear from the NewsPapersWork survey that 76% of respondents “could not do without their car” and 44% want to acquire a new vehicle in the next three years – whether there is a financial crisis or not. Respondents say they are well aware of mobility problems, but more than 70% say they almost never use public transport. In contrast, 76% of respondents are willing to drive slower in order to pollute less.