Volvo Shows Off New Car Designed For Women
FRANKEN: We take you behind the wheel now way look at a new car designed entirely by women for women. It's the Volvo concept car and it has key designs, including a seat indentation for a ponytail. Volvo unveiled the car at the Geneva International Auto Show this weekend. Our guest is somebody who says cars makers are designing vehicles with more women things in mind. Women things: I know you'll love that term. I'm talking with Lauren, the auto expert and the co-host on the "Do It Yourself." Let's talk about this. Why are they doing this?</s>LAUREN FIX, CAR EXPERT: Well, actually what happens, women are making 55 percent of the buying decisions and 80 percent of the influence. You have could cater to us. That's what they've done. They actually came up with an idea about a year and a half ago, decided to get 120 people involved. Most of which were women and they were employees to get their input. They found a lot of women don't want to maintain their own cars, although we're supposed to be car care aware and do basic maintenance, most women want to take somewhere. And so they have a bonnet that doesn't off. And they have 2 neat little outlets, one for the gas and one for the washer fluid. Because women are looking at things differently. This is a fashion statement. So, we wanted to change the cushions. We want to be able to move things around, gear and our kids. So the seats are cinema-style seats. And there was so much input by women, if we're making this much of the buying decision, we should have input in the design. That's how the whole concept evolved. And what's neat, this car will be at the New York Auto Show on April 9.</s>FRANKEN: At the risk of losing my masculinity right here and now, some of these things are universally appealing. Wouldn't you agree?</s>FIX: I agree. It wasn't designed for women, but it was designed for people in general. I mean, a lot of people don't want to work on their own cars. That's why there are dealers and that's why there are tons of technical shops out there to do the work for you. However, what's neat about the car is, the big thing was visibility. It was seating comfort. You can actually get your body scanned, which may be good or bad, and they put it into a key and when you put your key into the ignition, it would know it's you and would adjust the seats, the best visibility, the best distance from the steering wheel and the best safety position. So, there's a lot of neat things a.</s>FRANKEN: They have variation on that now, Volvo does, where you in effect set your key, your seat ahead of time with the number of settings. Why the sea gull openings? That's like the old Mercedes. Why are they doing that?</s>FIX: They call it the A pillar and the B pillar. The A pillar is where the windshield attached, and the B, is that next post, like if you had a second door, it's moved much further back so you can bring in your briefcase, or your laptop case, or get children easier, child safety seats, move them, let the kids get in and out. So all that was designed for convenience, for head clearance. Women want easy in, easy out. They want to make life easier. We live in these cars. I mean not just women, but men, everybody lives in their vehicle it seems. So the idea was to make it a little more consumer friendly. And a lot of these goes into Volvo production. I know Mazda also has a focus group they put together. So does Lexus. Everybody's doing it because they don't want to lose out on that sale.</s>FRANKEN: There an ad, I believe its for Dodge where they show the couple, the husband and wife. The woman is concerned about the fuzzy things and the husband concerned about the HEMI engine.</s>FIX: The HEMI, yes.</s>FRANKEN: The macho thing. What you seem to be suggesting that those differences are really not that far apart? That there needs to be a melding and there is a melding of the gender interest in cars?</s>FIX: There really is. There used to be the he said, she said. If my husband came home with a car, and I would say, did you think about the kids, did you think about all the gear we have to move around? That's why a lot of times they're trying to design the vehicles for the whole family, not just the masculine side. If it's got a HEMI, that it's got more than that. And so that's what all of the manufacturers are trying to do and the dealers are trained to be aware women want to know the details we get on Internet, we find out information, we come in as very informed consumers and they don't want to lose those sales.</s>FRANKEN: Lauren Fix, with the latest on still another cultural fix. And here's another one. The boys may be saying good-bye to the girls. That's actually a reversion. That is, if the federal government has its way. Up next: the faces in the nation's public schools could soon see a change. Plus, new efforts under way to help students who get scared when the clock strikes 3:00 in the school buildings. And he was used to throwing blows inside the ring, but got blindsided by a few life lessons. We'll tell you about his comeback, coming up later.