How to Tailor Portfolio Offerings to Appeal to European Customers

In our previous articles in this series, we discuss how carmakers from emerging markets can succeed in Europe, using the example of Chinese electric vehicle brands to highlight the importance of understanding the buyer’s decision-making process. Continuing with the Chinese EV example, in this article we explore how entering the European market also calls for adjustments to the offering portfolio.

Buying a new vehicle can be one of the most expensive purchases a customer ever makes, closely behind buying a home. It is therefore not surprising that in Europe, over 35 percent of car buyers spend around one month deliberating their purchase before signing on the dotted line. Nowadays, it is rarely the case that a customer walks into a showroom and is immediately convinced by a sales rep’s pitch.

As more and more Europeans regard their car merely as a…