A new survey by Volkswagen of America of 1,000 SUV owners shows that nine of 10 expect to own such a vehicle in the future.
“This survey confirms that our current portfolio of SUVs aligns with what consumers are prioritizing here in the U.S.,” said Hein Schafer, senior vice president of product marketing and strategy for Volkswagen of America, in a statement “All of our SUVs rank high on independent measures of comfort, standard safety features and passenger space within their classes, and we’re focused on those priorities as we develop new entries like our upcoming subcompact SUV.”
VW’s Chattanooga plant assembles two SUVs, the Atlas and the Atlas Cross Sport. The company last month started an $800 million expansion to produce an all-electric SUV by 2022, which will result in hiring about 1,000 new workers in addition to the nearly 4,000 already at the plant.
The survey polled drivers in the United States who currently own or lease an SUV and identify it as their primary household vehicle.
Overall, the survey indicated safety and comfort are the two features that matter most when it comes to purchasing SUVs. Results also showed that families are spending a lot of time together in SUVs and that third rows are being used a lot more than previously thought.