Car firms to focus on green features
Leading car manufacturers are set to use next month’s Paris motor show to put a spotlight on new hybrid and low-carbon models.
As fuel bills continue to rise for drivers, the leading car brands say their future marketing and advertising plans will seek to cash in on consumers’ desire for eco-friendly vehicles.
New models being unveiled at the Paris motor show, between October 4 and 19, will include the latest hybrid launches from Vauxhall, Peugeot and Honda, and will boast of lower CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.
Martin Lay, marketing strategy manager for Vauxhall’s parent company, General Motors UK and Ireland, says the model’s low tax-band positioning means the company is confident that “buyers will have great interest in this car”. Vauxhall is unveiling the Astra EcoFlex, which will be the most economical Astra in the range with a 1.7 turbo diesel engine.
Lay says the campaign for the car will “focus on its environmental benefits”.
The move towards pushing green credentials to consumers comes as the EU finalises a new directive on car advertising, which says that fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions must be prominently included in all promotional literature,Neil Wallis, a director at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, says: “Motorists are now much more focused on reducing fuel costs, and car advertising is an important influence on consumers’ choice of car.”
