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Feann Torr17 Mar 2015
NEWS

Role reversal: Cars to choose their customers

High-tech 'Bentley Studio' showroom concept could debut in Australia this year

Most new car buyers walk into a showroom and decide what vehicle they want, but what if that idea was turned on its head – what if the car chose the customer?

As strange as it sounds, high-end British luxury car-maker Bentley is already rolling out a progressive car selection concept dubbed 'Bentley Studio' that could do just that.

And it could be in Australian showrooms by the end of 2015.

Trialled at the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix, a small group of Australian journalists and selected customers had the chance to experience the 'Bentley Studio', which is described as a "mix of technology, psychology and craftsmanship".

The objective is to simplify and improve the buying experience not only by advising which of the 1.2 million customisation combinations flatter buyers' personalities but even by suggesting which car would suit the buyer, all via emotional analysis.

Picture this: you step up to a large touch-screen and choose between a series of photos. Each selection comprises a pair of circular images, for instance a bright, sunny beach alongside lightning dancing around dark clouds.

During our test there were about 20 different visual 'questions'. Depending on the user's choice and how quickly they made that choice, the Bentley Studio software uses an algorithm to create a 'mood board' from which a "pattern emerges about the personal preferences and tendencies of that customer, the Bentley model that would suit them, and a suggested colour palette".

The next step involves a Bentley designer, in our case David Fearnley — an interior designer from the company's Crewe headquarters. He uses the data to talk about what sort of the trims, colours, leathers and other elements might appeal to the client.

Ultimately, Bentley's novel car commissioning process comes down to one-on-one customisation, but the idea is intriguing if nothing else and gives Bentley customers a streamlined and unique way to commission a car.

The Bentley Studio was first tested in New York's ultra-trendy Meat Packing District in May 2014, and has since been trialled in Shanghai and now Melbourne.

Although Bentley officials bristled when it was suggested customers were being psycho analysed – no psychologists are involved – Robin Peel, Bentley's Asia Pacific head of marketing and communications, said the Bentley Studio could be rolled out in Australia before the year's end.

"The aim is for us to develop the system. We're getting feedback from customers, from yourselves, the media, and that's going to take a little bit of time.

"But there's no reason why towards the end of the year some of our bigger dealers around the world, including Australia, shouldn't have this system in place".

During our trial there was talk of leveraging facial-recognition software that could enable the Bentley Studio to further gauge client reactions to various visual and other stimuli and further hone the end result. Augmented reality is another idea kicking around.

"It's almost limitless where you can go with this, and technology is moving so quickly, what we think is a dream today could be available tomorrow," said Peel.

"What you saw today works. We know we want to push it further and, like a concept car, we're getting feedback; we evaluate it, build it into the system so there'll be Mk1, Mk2, Mk3 and so on," said the Dubai-based Bentley executive.

How the end product will work in Australia is not clear yet and Peel hypothesised that dealers may take the role of the consultant.

More than a gimmick, the slick presentation was engaging and, if developed further, the Bentley Studio concept could gain traction, and not just with high-end products. Who knows, perhaps Volkswagen will invoke a similar system in a decade's time?

With talk of virtual reality being a part of Audi's premium showrooms in the near future and now Bentley pushing in a new direction, it looks certain that the traditional luxury car dealership – and indeed the way we buy cars — is about to undergo a major shift.

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