Today, all automakers have female engineers on staff. It seems that the women's review process has finally become a formalized decision among vehicle manufacturers. With women making or influencing more than 80% of all new vehicle purchases these days, it seems a wise decision. Plus, the U.S. vehicle market is about half trucks today, making even more sense that automakers are enlisting women as their top execs in the world of truck and SUV design.
Most automakers also have several informal teams made up of non-engineer female workers throughout their companies as well. These teams are instrumental in evaluating various concepts and features in vehicle design from time to time, such as whether they think women would pay for a new feature or whether a particular feature works in a manner the would appeal to most women.
To get an idea of the lengths to which automakers have gone to cater to the female market, consider the following features that have been developed in recent years, thanks to the input of female engineers and designers:
- family-friendly interior and exterior designs, de-emphasizing sharp edges and macho styles
- thinner, easier-to-grip steering wheels
- drop-down mirrors for checking on little passengers in the rear seats
- rectangular cup holders, perfect for juice boxes
- hooks on the back of the rear passenger seat for attaching grocery bags
- lower armrests
- pull-down handles on rear lift gates
- 26-gallon gas tanks so mothers will not have to stop as often to fill up as they make the daily rounds with their children
- back-seat headsets with speakers that allow children to listen to their own music, instead of what their parents are listening to
- handy integrated storage bins to carry a purse or planner
- improved line of sight over the top of the front hood
- oversized, circular knobs for the radio and climate controls
- cruise control buttons located on the face of the steering wheel
- additional buttons for radio and climate control located at the back of the steering wheel, easily accessible to the driver's fingers
- rotary gearshifts in the center console area
- unique key fobs for starting the ignition, as well as locking and unlocking doors -- eliminating the need to have door and hatch controls on the instrument panel
- translucent plastic receptacles (with adjustable shelves) integrated within the bottom center of the instrument panel to hold a purse, planner, diaper bag, etc.
- innovative storage areas under the two front seats, providing storage for gloves, scarves, umbrellas, ice scrapers, maps, CD's, etc.
- oversized door pockets
- seatbelts designed to slip on and off with the ease of a backpack -- and a single buckle can tie all four belts together in the backseat
- bi-folding rear doors that slide on a track, making it easier to get in and out in tight parking lot situations
- wheels that come with integrated LCD (liquid crystal display) digital readouts of tire pressure
- a mini-manual in the form of a flip chart that provides maintenance directions
- low doorsills to easily get in and out of the vehicle, similar to minivan level
- center consoles large enough to hold a laptop computer and a purse
- rear parking aids to warn the driver of obstacles in the blind spot immediately behind the rear bumper
- front and side airbags
- taller driver's seat positioning that provides a commanding view of the road
- fold-down footrests
- flip-out armrests with cupholders
- optional third row seating (to accommodate 7 passengers) which can be removed to allow for extra storage the rear
- smaller size aiding maneuvering and parking
- useful appliances, including a washer, dryer, refrigerator, and microwave
