Luxury cars need to redefine themselves by offering much more than just wood and leather or a long list of features. After all, more and more entry-level cars are raising the luxury and quality bar.
How can traditional premium models stand out in today’s market? That’s a question The Detroit Bureau tried to answer in a recent article.
Of course, a Honda Accord will never offer the same rich leathers as a Bentley, but companies like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo, Lincoln, and others must do a lot more to retain their premium status.
We’re talking about things like a valet service, free maintenance over a relatively long period of time (like Genesis does), online car buying (Mercedes-Benz in Europe), special training to learn all the intricacies of modern gadgets, and so on.
Mainstream brands will quickly catch on, though.
“We’re seeing some of the same services begin to be offered on non-luxury vehicles,” said Renee Stephens, a senior analyst with J.D. Power. “It will become tougher and tougher to differentiate a true luxury experience from a non-luxury experience.”
What do you think?