Abstract

DEMAISON, André; BOTURA JR, Galdenoro  and  PASCHOARELLI, Luis Carlos. The perceived function in the design of “popular” car sand their importance for the Market. Rev. cienc. tecnol. [online]. 2021, n.35, pp.41-50. ISSN 1851-7587.

Consumersoflower-valueautomobilesoften look for versionsthat look “premium” tosatisfytheirvanities. To escape thestigmaattachedto “popular” cars - thecheapestandsimplest for salebyautomakers -, manufacturersworkontheaestheticsofthesevehiclestopositivelyimpacttheowners' self-esteem. Thisarticlediscussestheaestheticvaluesofautomobiles, presentingtheconceptof “popular car” andthehistoricalevolutionofthismarket. A SemanticDifferentialquestionnairewaspreparedwiththebest-selling “entry” models in Brazil in 2019, in additionto “popular” classicsfrompastdecades. The perceivedfunctionofthe “popular” in thenationalmarketispresentedanddiscussedbasedonthestatisticalanalysisoftheresultsobtainedfromconsultationswithconsumers. It wasidentifiedthat a more elaborateaesthetic, whichreferstothe look of more expensivevehicles, generatesgreaterattraction for users.

Keywords : Design; aesthetics; automobiles; perceivedfunction; popular cars.