As the “connected things” or “smart home” movement continues to expand, automakers and associated industries have struggled to find their niche within it. In a new report from the Strategy Analytics’ In-Vehicle UX (IVX) team. 

The research group says consumers in the U.S., Western Europe, and China were surveyed regarding their interest towards in-car smart home features. In general, security features generated higher interest than features integrated for entertainment systems. 

The highest interest for in-car smart home was found in the younger to mid-age demographic. Turning lights on/off and opening/closing garage doors were the features that had the highest interest overall in all regions surveyed.

“Our present research finds that while consumers show broad interest in smart home integration for the car, not all use cases are equally valued by consumers,” says Monica Wong, research analyst and report author. “This follows a broader pattern similar to one we have noted in research on telematics and remote vehicle management. Functions which are perceived as adding the most value from a safety or cost-saving standpoint or directly relevant to the car, will rise up in importance. It should come as no surprise then that integrated functions such as securing the garage door are considered with more importance across many demographic segments.”