Has anyone noticed how useless some manufacturer’s web sites are for giving you the information you want or need to know?
The thought ran through my mind the other day as I was looking for an interior shot of the new Alfa Romeo Mito. On to their flash enabled moving image web site I went only to find exterior shots of the car and little else. Instead I find marketing blurb under headings such as Soul and Style, each click through revealing less than before.
At last, Gallery! There must be a picture here. Nop, just more shots of the exterior. I wouldn’t mind if this was a teaser site and the car was yet to be launched but I clearly remember sitting in one at the London Motor Show this year. It certainly wasn’t a secret then.
The Mito’s not alone either. Look at the 147, a car that is definitely not under wraps due to its advancing age and try and view at the interior on that. Little snippets and shots of gear levers and instrument binnacles are all that is shown. I want to look at the entire bloody dash, and the shape and type of stitching on the seats. As a driver, you will appreciate the inside of the car is the bit of it you see the most, especially when your stuck in a traffic jam.
It doesn’t just stop there. Do you wonder how much stuff you could get in the boot? How much room is really behind the front seats? Well, you are not going to find it on their web site either. It isn’t just Alfa though. Most manufacturers site are difficult to navigate through and are more concerned with getting you on to their “Car Configurator” than giving you information you might actually need.
I realise that the producers are using the web as huge marketing tool and the information they glean about potential customers is invaluable as far as they are concerned but I don’t want to register just to have a quick look at the dash board or find out what the boot capacity is.
The web sites aren’t the only culprits though. Have you been to get a brochure from a dealer recently? They are no better than the adverts you get in a glossy life style magazine, thick papered three page booklets with dynamic people doing dynamic things with their latest and greatest MPV / convertible / saloon cross over.
It never used to be like this. In my formative years I used to pillage most of the local main dealers for their catalogues. Back in the 80’s Vauxhall for instance used to produce a thick glossy brochure which covered every car in their range. Each model would be listed along with each derivation, be it Merit, L, GL or GTE, all getting their own page with the picture of the interior and options such as alloy wheels or upgraded stereo’s.
Listed neatly at the end of each section would be a list of options and on the following page technical information such as leg and head room, load heights and towing capacities. All relevant stuff.
The manufacturers will state that their product range is now so large, turn over of models so quick, flexible production and endless options during the build process, mean they are unable to produce such information any more. The issue is they omit basic information, facts and figures that don’t change between models and that to me is inexcusable.
So next time you need to know more about a car, head down to your local shopping centre car park, armed with tape measure and a brave face. You might get some funny looks, but you’ll actually get the information you require.