THE POWER OF THE BRAND
THE BMW 3 Series has it in spades, and thatââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Å“ûs why youââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Å“ûve already decided to buy one, even though youââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Å“ûre yet to go for a test drive. Similarly, the Range Rover Evoque puts it financially within reach of more people than any other Range Rover before, and has consequently sold to more than 20 000 people before reaching showrooms. And the Toyota GT 86 aims to inject some excitement into it. This ââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Â¬ÃƒÂºitââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Å“ÿ factor, of course, is brand strength. And, in these exceedingly brand-conscious times, the strength or weakness of a brand can mean the difference between success and failure.
But which brands press South Africansââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Å“û buttons? You have to look no further than our exclusive AutoBrand survey (see page 50) for the answers. Conducted by RamsayMedia Research Solutions and Bateleur, the AutoBrand survey is the largest and most detailed of its kind and has yielded interesting results. The one that most perfectly illustrates the power of a brand is the case of Land Rover. Finishing at or near the bottom in many of the research fields matters little; Land Rover owners love their vehicles in spite of all the trouble. When it comes to replacement time, Land Rover owners are most likely to buyââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Â¬Ã‚¬ you guessed itââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Â¬Ã‚¬ another Land Rover.
Then there is Toyota. One of the highlights of this issue is a first drive in the eagerly anticipated GT 86. Now, even by Toyotaââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Å“ûs own admittance, the past few years have been tough, so the Japanese marque is returning to its roots in a bid to recapture some of the lost magic. The GT 86 is finally proof that the gigantic, once infallible automaker is serious about again providing the quality, fun and affordability on which its brand strength were built. Does the GT 86 succeed? Flip to page 34 to find out.
Judging by Toyotaââ€Å“öââ€Å“çââ€Å“ûs middle-of-the-road performance in AutoBrand (as well as the Kia Rio/Yaris comparative test on page 76), the renewed focus on product may have come just in time…