Customers of Ford’s sporty cars are not just young at heart; they’re actually younger on average, and more affluent, according to New Vehicle Customer Study data from MaritzCX in the United States. (this trend could also be making its move in Asia soon)
Nowhere is this trend more evident than with Ford Fiesta ST. While the average age of a new Fiesta buyer is 45 years old, the average age of a Fiesta ST customer is a good 10 years younger. Buyers of Ford Focus follow the same pattern; the average age of a regular Focus buyer is 46, while the Focus RS customer is 41 on average and the Focus ST buyer is 36. Fusion customers are 48 on average, while Fusion Sport buyers are an average 45 years old.
These millennial buyers are important to Ford. Not only are they contributing to a significant increase in sporty car sales – a 45 percent increase for the first three months of the year – younger customers give the automaker a greater chance of winning over repeat buyers.
“With repeat customers making up around half of industry sales, capturing younger buyers while they still have many vehicle purchases remaining in their lives is good for business,” said Corey Holter, Ford car group marketing manager.