Transcript
So guys, have you got all your notes on four-wheel drive vehicles? Shall we go through what we’ve each found and think about how we’ll put it together for next week’s marketing seminar?
Yeah, sure. Let’s start with what these cars were originally designed for.
Oh, I’ve got something on that here. Well, four-wheel drives, or sports utility vehicles as they are officially known, SUVs for short, were originally designed for off-road use by people who need to get to remote areas out in the bush, for instance. But the interesting thing is that they’re actually sold now to a lot of people who just use them in cities, so they make quite different use of them.
OK, then maybe we should make a list of their advantages, shall we?
So one thing is that they’re good for commercial use, OK?
How about also saying utilitarian rather than luxurious? So you’re not paying out for unnecessary luxuries, okay?
What else?
Well, they have increased engine capacity and they’re also heavier, so suitable for towing large loads.
So, is this why so many people buy them then?
No. They seem to have become fashionable now for rather different reasons.
Research carried out by automobile clubs shows that people buy them for business because of the sort of image they project. And mums like to drive their kids to school in them because they think they’re safe.
So that’s another reason. And you can get about seven people into one of these, so we could say seating capacity is another factor.
Okay, another thing that came out of my research is that people also like the higher seats. They say it means they can get a better view of the traffic ahead of them.
But you know, some of these reasons just don’t work. I mean, the safety thing is just a misconception.
Because generally in a collision they can do terrible damage to a smaller car.
Mmm, that’s right. That’s one of the disadvantages I have here. Shall we go through those now?
Good idea. So, let’s say that potentially they are harmful in built-up areas.
Generally the damage they cause is due to their weight. That’s right, isn’t it?
Yes it is. I’ve got a note here about their chassis. The bodywork on an SUV is stiffer and doesn’t crumple to absorb impact in a collision the way it does in smaller cars. And there’s another reason why they’re not safe. It’s quite easy for them to roll over, more so than an ordinary car, because they’ve got a high centre of gravity.
So these are all the disadvantages. How are we going to round this up?
Well, I think maybe we could round up with a few ideas of how we can limit the use of these SUVs. One thing that could be done is to limit them to people like farmers who can prove that they need them.
Mmm, that’s good, but it might be hard to enforce. Companies could also increase the insurance for SUVs, since they cause more damage when there’s an accident.
That’s a good idea too. I’ll tell you what guys, I’ll write up these notes onto an IHT so that everyone can see them when we talk through our notes in the seminar. But I think we need to put together a list of our sources too. Can you do that?
Sure, no problem.
