One of the largest single sources in measuring the behaviour of automotive Internet buyers, Dataium Inc, has released the results its latest ASI (Automotive Shopper Intensity) index, which ranks new vehicles in terms of consumer demand and shopper frequency. And perhaps not surprisingly, given the increase in popularity of luxury and imported vehicle nameplates in recent years, the most shopped vehicle in 2011 at least in the U.S., was the BWM 328. Rounding out the top five were the Ford F-150, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Audi A4 (in that order).
However, individual vehicles that showed the biggest gains in terms of shopping activity during 2011 were Kia’s Optima sedan and the redesigned Volkswagen Jetta; which has seen demand grow exponentially since it was introduced. Hyundai’s Sonata was third in the gain rankings, showing an increase of 33 per cent.
In terms of actual automotive brands on the Internet, the Korean duo of Hyundai and Kia ranked highest on the 2011 ASI index, showing gains of 42 and 37 per cent since the previous survey. The index is often a very good indicator of retail sales, with information gathered from Dataium’s extensive network of dealer, manufacturer and portal websites, so many retailers pay close attention to the findings.
Regarding the 328’s popularity among Internet auto shoppers, Dataium’s CEO Eric Brown stated; “BMW’s strong shopper intensity scores were clearly reflected in the company’s sales performance throughout the year.” He also noted, that “we first identified the increasing consumer interest in their brand during our Super Bowl advertising study and saw that trend continue throughout the year.”
